


Casual Encounters

by Attorney C (arh581958)



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Awesome OMCs, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Felon!Mike, Getting Together, GoodBro!Marcus, Harvey's Family, Lily Bashing, M/M, Meet the Family, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Weekend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-03 05:02:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5277683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Attorney%20C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey is forced to spend Thanksgiving weekend in California with his family to be subjected to his mother's unrelenting and unhelpful matchmaking. Lucky for him, his brother has the perfect solution to stop---a casual encounter's advertisement on craigslist for a 28-year old felon with no high school degree to play his pretend boyfriend.</p><p>NEW: Cover Art~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. PROLOGUE

**Author's Note:**

> I found this [prompt](http://discountliquor.tumblr.com/post/103390876984) and decided to give it a go since I wanted to make a Marvey Thanksgiving story anyway.
> 
> This is dedicated to [Dearly](http://dearly.tumblr.com/) who has answered the call to beta my MarveySecretSanta Gift! Thank you so much darling~
> 
> Many thanks (seriously MANY thanks) to the wonderful sheethkalshahar1 for- giving this a look and correcting my mistakes. Seriously, folks, she gave back the entire thing in less than a day! You're awesome! Will you be my Beta again? :D
> 
>  **UPDATE** : I made coverart! Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UPDATED: 01-07-16   
> \+ cover art

* * *

* * *

 

A phone was ringing when Harvey alighted from the elevator. It stopped mid-way through his short journey to his coveted corner office. Donna was on the line. She looked up, covered the mouth piece, and made grabby hands for the second tumbler of coffee in his take-away container.

"I've got Marcus on line one."

"I'll take it inside." he replied. Wordlessly, he passed her the correct cup. Funny how it should be the other way around but, then again, their work-slash-friendship was envied throughout the firm. He took his seat behind the desk and pressed turned-on the speaker, as if the idea of a phone to his ear greatly appalled him.

There was a click of Donna putting down the other end.

"Harvey?"

"Marcus." he greeted lightly, already setting up his things for the day. "Shouldn't you be busy-bodying in the kitchen? It's eight in the morning." He slid the thin laptop on the desk and grabbed the optical mouse from the topmost drawer, the he booted-up the device.

"I'm on speaker, aren't I?" Shuffling and a muffled feminine 'hello' came. "Linda says hello."

"Hello to her too." He keyed in his password. "So why the early call, Marcus?"

"It's about this weekend."

"What about it?" he hummed absently, sorting through his emails.

"Mom's invited us over for Thanksgiving"  

"You mean Lily."

"Still mom."

"Whatever." He rubbed his temples.

"Are you going?"

Harvey remembered that invitation. It came about three weeks ago via snail mail. A flashy brown and bronze card with his name embossed in elegant script at the back---too gaudy for his taste. He also remembered that---"I declined it a few days ago."

"I know. Mom called." a heavy sigh.

 "Let me guess..." He responded with his own heavy sigh. "...she called you to convince me to go." Albeit both Specter boys were on odd-terms with their mother, Marcus has surprisingly managed to be civil with the woman despite everything.

"Yep."

"For what? So she can pretend to be our mother? Present me to all her new rich friends? Hound me into marrying one of their pampered princesses?" He groaned. "I've had enough of that old lady trying to weasel her way back into my life. I'm finally worth her time because I'm a big shot Manhattan lawyer who she can dangle in front of everyone like a prized puppy?"

"Harvey..."

"Marcus" he bit back. "I'm not going. You and Linda should go enjoy yourselves. I've got work."

"You always have work anyway" he could almost _hear_ the eye roll. "Look. What if I have a way to finally get her off your back?"

"Marcus..." he warned, knowing exactly where this was going. ”I'm not going to fake a marriage with my secretary. We tried that. It didn't stick. And she's already got tickets booked for the weekend to see her family."

"Well..." came the mischievous tone "You don't have to fake marriage _per se_ but just a relationship? Bring I date? Just to piss her off completely. You know how she is..."

"Social climbing whore who cares only about her reputation?"

"Exactly! Check your email. It should be there by now."

Harvey eye the fresh line that loaded onto his screen and couldn't help but grin.

"Craigslist, really?"

***

"Craigslist, really?" Mike found himself repeating it for the nth time.

He had initially meant it as a joke because he heard it from some girls in the bar while he was busting the tables. At the time, rent was due but his wage wouldn't come until the end of the week. He scraped enough to pay but it left him too broke to eat. He never expected a reply _at all_ after he confessed on the internet that he was a felon.

He came here without thinking. Dressed in his fanciest (funeral) suit, he was fresh from a shower and doused himself in cologne before making the trip to the hotel. He received a notification on his phone that he had an email. The sender used a company email address to send it instead of a generic email provider for authenticity.

_~knock-knock_

He fidgeted the entire minute it took for the door to open.

"Hi" he said lamely. The man was gorgeous, straight out of a magazine cover gorgeous, that Mike lost all higher-functioning brain power for a second.

"Come in. I've got the paperwork on the table."

Mike did.

The hotel room was small and simple. It opened directly to the dining room. He immediately saw cream coloured folder on the tabletop.

"I'm not here for sex." he said without thinking because his brain still lost its ability for higher thinking. He noticeably glared at the bed.

"Kid. I wouldn't bed you even if you wanted me too." came the man's gruff reply. "I wanted a private place for discretion but I didn't feel like inviting you to my home before I even met you. The paperwork is as much for me as it is for you. Non-disclosure about this weekend to anyone."

Mike balked at the idea but kept his mouth shut. "What kind of guy are you then? You look like you don't need to _hire_ anyway to play your pretend date for Thanksgiving. You look like the type to actually be beating off both sexes with a stick. So why bother answering my ad in the first place?"

"You're not wrong" the man nodded. "I could. But I need your services."

"I don't do sex."

"I don't expect you to."

"Okay." he said, accessing. "What do you expect from me?"

Instead of answering, the guy flipped the cover and pushed the files towards Mike.

***

Harvey didn't know what he was expecting when he booked the room at the Chilton. Okay, that was a lie. He was fully expecting a man that looked like jailbait to come knocking that evening---like a really bad knock-off of Justin Bieber with a sleeve of tattoos, long side-swept bangs, or may be a piercing, dressed in a ratty oversized shirt and disgusting boxer-showing jeans.

Instead, he was met by a young man dressed in a (hideous) suit. Blond hair was attempted to be tamed in gel despite a fresh shower, making it look messy and unfinished. Traces of a five o'clock shadow was on the man's face, light and golden just like his hair. There was no piercing to speak of but, he found that, he wouldn't have minded if there was one hidden beneath those clothes.

"Okay." the kid said with a considering tone. "You basically want me to be worst possible person to date in front of your mother and _yet_... somehow... despite being all that you're dating me?"

"You've finished reading it? That's a twenty page document." Harvey noted in disbelief.

The kid just shrugged. "How is that even believable? I mean, I can be a pretty convincing actor but seriously, dude, you don't even look like you bat for this team."

"How... biased of you and don't call me dude" he replied. "Come here and give me a kiss."

"What?! I'm not a whore, Ms. Specter. I said completely platonic date."

"But you're willing to pretend to be in a long romantic relationship, isn't that an irony?"

"I..."

 "It's just a kiss. How else will I prove your assumptions otherwise?"

The kid, he hasn't even gotten a name yet, seemed to think about it then nodded. The kiss was supposed to be simple and sweet but then the kid opened his mouth and _responded_ so beautifully that Harvey suddenly felt the urge to want more. He demanded entrance and plunged his tongue inside the boy's warm mouth, tasting things that sparked his insides to life more than any lay he had in the last month.

"Fuck" the kid moaned when they parted. "We might have to rethink article seventeen about sexual contact on page four."

He blinked back, amazed. "You remembered that?"

"Actually, I don't really care. What I care about are the boilerplate provisions. There is no 'Entire Agreement Clause' nor a 'Force Majeure Clause'. What if your mother, despite my great acting abilities, or any of the other people there find out that everything was a sham?"

Harvey was taken back. It took him longer than normal to formulate an answer. "You understand contracts?" he asked in incredulity. "How the hell do you know that?"

"Of course I do" the answer was flat and emotionless. "Otherwise, why would I have read it? There wouldn't be informed consent if I just signed my name over the dotted line without bother to _know_ what I'm signing, right? Then, it wouldn't be enforceable."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"I studied it."

"You don't even have your GED!"

"Yeah? So what if I don't?" the kid shot back, eyes a blaze. " _You_ called me. You need my services and not the other way around. So stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. You don't own me."

"I'm no making fun of you. That's amazing."

"I..." the other opened his mouth, braced for another onslaught of insults, but then snapped his lips shut.

Harvey figured that it was a good a time as any to introduce himself to the man who would save him from the misfortune of Lily what's-her-new-surname's horrible matchmaking. It was like she bred children so that she could auction them off to the highest bidder.

"I'm Harvey Specter" he said with an extended hand.

"Mike" the kid--Mike replied. "Mike Ross."

They shook hands.

"Well, Mike, this is going to be a memorable weekend."  


	2. Meet the Siblings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mike meets Harvey's siblings~ Get ready to be overwhelmed with OMCs! Hahaha.

 The plan was simple: have Mike play the role of loving partner in their long-term serious relationship so that Lily would not be able to match-make Harvey with any of her rich new friend's offspring. They decide to keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible since Harvey wasn't too keen on details anyway. He would play the role for the entire four days from the moment they reach California until they boarded their return flight. After that, they would part and hopefully never speak to each other again.

Since he wanted to enrage his mother more, Harvey had asked Mike to shave and it, indeed, made the blond look closer to twenty rather than twenty-seven. They went shopping in the afternoon to buy some clothes that would counter-balance Mike's youthful face because Harvey did not want to feel like a cradle-robber the entire weekend. They bought a few suits, some dressy shirts, and a pair of jean just in case.

They swapped a few light-hearted stories the entire time in order to fill-in the gaps. Harvey told Mike the reason why he hated his mother. Mike told Harvey about why he went to jail.

Their cover story goes like this;

_On a hot night in summer, Harvey stumbled into the bar where Mike tended the bar with a couple of his old friends from the DA's office. It was a farewell party of sorts since one of them just announced that he was getting married in the Fall. Everything was going well until the party ended and the people started leaving. There was a pushy brunette who was being overly friendly with Harvey. He caught Mike's eye, slipped him a twenty to help, and the blond prompted poured something on Harvey's shirt. Of course, the lawyer was furious but Mike cheekily apologized and offered him a blow job._

It wasn't the classiest first meeting but they figured it would do.

Harvey and Mike arrived in sunny California early in the morning. They rented a sleek white corvette stingray convertible then started on the hour-long drive with the visor down and the sun on their faces. Harvey was wearing a ridiculous three-piece suit with his jacket draped over the driver's back rest and sleeves folded neatly to his forearms. Mike was wearing a plaid blue shirt, grey trousers, suspenders, _and_ fedora.

"So tell me more about yourself" Mike prompted some twenty minutes in. "It’s for, you know, just in case I ever need anything to prove that we're actually in a long-term committed relationship. ’Cause I'm not sure how long the charade will last if the only thing I know about you is your job. I'm at least expected to know their names and backgrounds, right? I don't want to mess that up. I don't even know how you found my ad in the first place!"

Harvey made a non-committal noise. "Okay. I didn't find you. My brother did. He's my only full-sibling. He's married to Linda and they have a son named Dillan. They own a restaurant in Manhattan near the Financial District. It's an old Italian place built in the 50's which they inherited from Linda's parents."

"No way..." Mike's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Don't tell me they own Santino's!"

"That's the one" Harvey said with a chuckle. "You know it?"

"Duuude. They've got the best Cannoli’s ever!"

"It's an old family recipe. Be sure to pass it along when you meet them. And, really, don't call me dude." They exited the highway.

"You said full-sibling. I'm guessing that your mom remarried?"

"Twice." he nodded. "I have three half-sisters in total; two from the first one and one from the other. Suzanne is twenty-five. She works as a costume designer in Hollywood. I forget which company. We call her Zane. It was an inside joke at first between us 'cause we always thought her dream was insane."

Slowly, the buildings grew scarcer and the green became more abundant, the deeper they went into the suburbs.

"Christine just turned twenty-one last month. She's a senior at Caltech taking up Astronomy. I honestly don't know where she gets her brains from but she's always been a wanderer. So I guess it fits. We aren't very close given the age-gap between us. Oh yeah, and she likes to be called Chris."

"You're pretty smart yourself. Harvard graduate and all!"

"Haha. No. I refuse to think that it's in Lily's genes." He took another turn which led them even farther away from the main road and into the hills. He had programmed the GPS to the location on written on the invitation. "Anyway. I have a last sister which I don't know much about. I think she's still in high school." He said with a shrug. "Hailey."

***

They ended up in front of an isolated manor with large wrought-iron gates. Harvey handed the invitation to the guard and was given entry.

"Damn. Your mom must be loaded," Mike said in wonder as he took-in the vast estate. He tried to be subtle about how much the extravagance bothered him. But seriously, the place was opulent as fuck and he felt tiny even with thousand-dollar dress shirt and suspenders. It was crazy. He shrunk in his seat.

Harvey ended up giving him a pitiful look. "Don't let it get to you. She's always been showy about money and other things. Who else in their right mind would host a Thanksgiving party in a place like this?" he turned to Mike, slowing down the car as they went into the circular driveway.  "You ready to play flirty affectionate boyfriend?" he pointed to where a tall woman stood by main entrance. "That's Zane. Out of them all, she's the most perceptive. If you fool her, then we'll be all set for the weekend."

Mike gulped down his anxiety. He almost managed to escape the cops during the drop, if only he had found a place to hide, he can damn well manage to fool Harvey's sister into thinking that he was a younger twenty-something boyfriend who had fallen in-love with an older man. Said older man being a hot brunette, so it wasn't _that_ far from the truth. If only their origin story were true, he sighed.

"Harvey!" the petite brunette greeted with a bright smile. "You made it! And you brought a date! Mom said that you declined the invitation a few days ago. What made you change your mind?"

"Hey Zane." Harvey replied, decelerating to a stop, then cut-off the engine. "Marcus called." he turned and pointed to Mike who was still seated in the passenger's seat. "And this guy wanted to see the West Coast. Figured that it's as good a time as any to introduce him to the family. Zane, meet my boyfriend, Mike Ross. Mike, this is my sister. You remember her, right?"

Cool, calm, and confident, Mike reminded himself.

"Yeah. Of course, I do!" Mike said and nonchalantly stepped out of the car to Harvey's side. He tried to be affectionate but restrained since it was first time in front of family. The role came naturally to him. "She's as stunning as you described her, Harvey. If I wasn't so gone for you, I would have definitely made a move on your sister. So that's why you wouldn't show me any family photos, huh? Afraid that I'll choose another one and leave?"

It was flirty and light and Harvey's possessive growl made it all the more believable.

"Don't worry, love." Mike cooed beside his face, kissing right under the jaw and up to his ear. "I only have eyes for you. Or you still don't know it yet?"

Zane giggled. She was wearing a light floral dress with a long, gold and brown frock, suede boots, and a _fedora_! "The same goes for you. I like you already" she said, gesturing to the hat. "I think Harvey must have locked you in a box and didn't want anyone of us to find out he was dating someone! You two look adorable!" She climbed down the stairs and gave them individual hugs and kisses on the cheek. "You should come up to the studio and let me dress you properly. I bet you'll look fantastic in a suit! Won't he, Harvey?"

"Get him in a suit and Lily won't hesitate to dig her claws into him." Harvey said with spite. "No, thank you. I'd like to keep him all to myself, thank you very much."

"Spoilsport" she frowned. "Come on, then. Let's get you both settled in. Mom and the new family are in town making for one last dress-fitting. You know how she is with her clothes."

"You mean revealing in all the wrong places?"

"Harvey!" She chastised. "What I don't understand is how you can be a brat about this even after all these years. She broke my dad’s heart too, you know. Some marriages just aren't meant to be. Besides, if you keep that attitude for the rest of the weekend, it's just going to ruin everything for everyone." she gave Mike a pleading look. "Help him tone it down, won't you? I doubt you'll have trouble keeping his thoughts pre-occupied." she said knowingly, making Mike blush with the innuendo.

***

They were taken to their rooms by a butler.

"Oh, Jesus." Mike gasped when they entered the threshold of their room. An ornate four-poster bed was the center piece of the space with thick red drapes liked with chucky golden tinsel. There's a fireplace, a sitting area, and an extensive private bath with a walk-in closet. He was surprised to see it lined with fresh blue cotton bathrobes and a closet full of fluffy towels. "It's like a palace!"

Harvey cringed at all the---extravagance. He was more akin to minimal elegance rather than opulence. "You seem to have impressed Zane." He said proudly. "I'm going to find a quiet place to work. You can go explore, if you want, or whatever. Dinner will be at eight but I'd like you to be ready to by six. I'd like you to meet Marcus. He's the one who found you're Ad."

And just like that, the magic vanished. That's right, this was all just another arrangement. Mike was a fool to think, even for a moment, that it was something else.

"R--right." he answered, lowering his head. "See you at six?"

"Six is good. We'll have drinks pre-dinner drinks at the pool." Harvey nodded. "Don't get lost. The house is pretty big this year. Send me a message if ever you _do_ get lost. It's bad etiquette to lose one's pretend boyfriend during Thanksgiving."

Sighing, Mike decided to venture out to the different rooms of the lavish mansion. There was a twinge of disappointment that he was left all alone by his employer (?)-Slash-fake-boyfriend. Harvey seemed like a good man and Mike would be lying if he said he wasn't interested. But Harvey wouldn't reciprocate that attraction. Physically may be but nothing beyond that. Maybe if he's lucky, he can push the right buttons and get Harvey to bed him before this thing is over. What's one measly selfish memory, right?

"You don't look like my older brother." a voice said from behind him. "Or one of the servants."

Mike turned around. He came face to face with a small brunette with short lopsided hair. Her features were familiar and he vaguely associated them with the woman who met them at the gate. One of Harvey's sister's then, he decided. He raised both hands in surrender and let out a small chuckle to break through her defenses.  

Cool, calm, and confident, he reminded himself.

"Guilty as charged" he said, trying to be cheeky. "Your right. I'm actually his boyfriend Mike" he extended his hand and shook hers. "You must be his sister... uhm, Christy?’ Cause I already met Zane and you're faces are similar. Neither of you look like Harvey at all!"

She laughed. Mike 2; Specter 0.

"You're a baby! What did Harvey do to get you? You don't look much older than me!"

The faint blush came naturally. "I'm closer to his age than you'd expect. I'm got the gift of a youthful face."

She sighed. "Did my horrible big brother leave you here all alone?"

He gave her a smile that was meant to be appeasing. "Naaah" he waved it off. "He has some work to do, you know, really big lawyer stuff, and told me to wait in the room. But I've always been sort of a thrill seeker so I ventured out on my own. This place is amazing but half the time I'm scared to even touch the furniture! Let alone sit down and use it!"

"Oh my god. I know what you mean!" she squealed. "I swear she gets grander and grander every year. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a simple family affair, right? Not a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills competition among the locals."

"My thoughts exactly." Harvey cut in, surprising them both.

"Harvey!"

"Brother!"

"Hi Chris." Harvey greeted, kissing her on the cheek. "I see you met my boyfriend. Hope he wasn't being his natural flirty self." he shot Mike a warning look and the younger man lifted his shoulders. He stepped towards Mike, hand coming to rest on Mike's hip, and the blond slotted their hips together on instinct.

Mike gave a coy smile and kissed his cheek. "It's not even six yet. Miss me already?"

"Aww, look at that" she cooed at Harvey's face. "Big brother is jealous! Don't worry, bro. I like them bulkier than he's built. I guess the Cali-surfer dude vibes are infectious after a few years of living in the West Coast. Blonde, wide chest, and dark tanned skin. If only Hailey doesn't try stealing them away." she rolled her eyes. "Out of us all, she inherited from mom the most."

"I already told you" Mike repeated with a fake giggle words getting stuck in his throat. "I'm _gone_ for you." He went so far as to trace the bridge of Harvey's nose and tapping the tip, a gesture that was supposed to look affectionate. Harvey did not even flinch at the rouse. Instead, he returned the affection by bending down and kissing Mike on the forehead.

It was the farthest thing from anything sexual but Mike was red as a tomato, heart beating a hundred miles per hour.

***

Mike finally met the infamous Marcus Specter by the pool, late in the afternoon. The siblings and he were sharing drinks by the poolside, enjoying the picturesque sunset and their brightly coloured cocktails made by Mike which was much to the amazement to them all. He might have done a few bar tricks while he mixed them up, just to impress his not-date, enjoying the way Harvey's eyes twinkled with pride.

"Just who gave you the authority to start the party without me?" a male voice boomed from the sliding doors. Marcus stepped out of the house with his beautiful Italian wife and their son, who was clutching his mother's dress at the hip.  They looked perfectly out of place, paled-skinned, and too-warm clothes under the red-hued California skyline.

Harvey barked out a laugh and opened his arms. "Come here, twerp." he called out the young boy. It took a moment. Then, the boy's eyes grew wide and a smile lit up his boyish face when he recognized exactly who had called him.

"Uncle Harvey! he smiled brightly. "Uncle Harvey! Uncle Harvey!"

"Dillan, don't run!" his mother called out. "It's dangerous! Sweetie, be careful!"

Harvey caught the child-sized projectile in his waiting arms and hauled the kid up towards the sky.

Meanwhile, the couple slowly made their way towards the group. All of them shared warm familiar greetings with each other, leaving Mike feeling somewhat left out. Which is wrong and weird and he should not be feeling like that because he knew, full and well, what he had gotten himself into. He was the fake date who was supposed to distract Harvey's mother from playing matchmaker with her eldest as a bargaining chip.

"Mike Ross, right?" the younger Specter surprised him. "My name is Marcus. It's a pleasure to meet you. Believe it or not, Harvey's told me a lot about you." and his smile looked genuine. It punched Mike like a fist to the gut.

"It's like staring at Harvey 2.0. Wow." He unconsciously said, gaping at the other man. "The resemblance is amazing. Are you sure you aren't twins?" He had to ask because staring at Marcus was like staring at a younger version of Harvey---the same eyes, same nose, same mouth, same jaw---except it was rounder on the edges instead of angular.

"I'm sure that my handsome is much more handsome." Linda said, cutting in from beside him. "My, you’re not so bad to look at yourself..."

"Mike" he introduced.

"Melinda Specter. Please call me Linda."

Mike beamed. "Harvey told me that you owned Santino's. I love that place. The cannellinis are the best I've ever had."

"My, aren't you a charmer. Isn't he, dear?" she motioned to Marcus who slipped a hand over her waist affectionately.

"I would have to agree" Marcus bemused. "Looks like you're charmed my sisters already. They tell me that you made their drinks."

"You should try this pink thingy with the orange! It's amazing" Zane giggled girlishly, presenting the said drink up with pride. It was already half-empty.

"This beer thing is better" Chris argued with her glass nearly empty.

"I think you both should hold off until after dinner." Harvey said, still smiling with his nephew up on his shoulders. Then he pointedly looked at Chris. "You're been twenty-one for what two months? And you're already an expert in alcohol?" he teased with an eye roll.

She made a noise and punched him on the arm.

"I think I'll have some Irish Coffee, if you want me to be awake until dinner time." Linda mussed, going to the bar. Mike followed like a puppy and went behind the counter an autopilot. She laughed. "You don't need to tend to me, Mike. I know a thing or two about handling the backend bar counter."

"You've just gotten off a plane" he reasoned out. "No need to fret over something so simple. Besides, I'm happy to do it for you. You look like you could use a drink." he said smiling. "I don't mind, really. Why don't you sit down and let me prepare you a drink? It's on the house. Promise."

She laughed and obliged him.

"Strange..." she mused, leaning against the marble, a contemplative expression on her face as if she were studying him. “How did a kid like you end up on the wrong side of the law?"

Mike froze, momentarily slipping his grip on the glass. Lucky for him that it barely hit the counter. He let out an uneasy laugh, willing away the curling feeling in his gut.

"He told you that, huh" he faked a casual conversation.

"Of course he did. He's my husband. What would our marriage be if there was no trust between us?"

He exhaled loudly and turned around.

"Guess I wouldn't know." he said truthfully. "My parents died when I was eight. Grammy raised me. But I didn't do right by her. Some days the money just wasn't enough, you know? With her small state pension and even with government support for her care. She's got Alzheimer's. So I..."

 "You made a mistake."

"Yeah..." he breathe out, releasing the tension that even he didn't know that he was keeping.”...a mistake. You could say that. Cost me everything. I don't know how I'm going to get my life back."

She covered the hand which held her glass. Her fingers soft against his prison-worn knuckles.

"This isn't the way."

"I know" he answered solemnly. "But it's the only thing I've got right now."

"Oh you poor thing" she said more to herself rather than to him. "Even if there's a knife on your throat. Remember, there's a hundred and forty-six other things that you can do to fight it."

"Thanks, Linda." he said and he meant it.

"Come on. Let's get back to the group before the boys get jealous. I don't know if you've ever seen a Specter man jealous. It's like going against the Hulk!"


	3. Meet the Rest of the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More OCs! Mike finally will meet the rest of the family.

"He's quite the charmer, isn't he?" Marcus asked, inclining his head towards the poolside bar where Linda and Mike appeared to be having an intimate conversation. "I remember the ad said twenty-eight and not twenty." He made a funny face. "I mean does the kid even have facial hair? At all?"

Harvey chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. I saw him with a bit of scruff when we first met. I asked him to shave and figured that it will bother Lily more to see that her eldest son is gay, happy, and dating a man that it so much more youthful than her current husband. She'll have a fit for days!" he murmured low, intentionally mocking. "And finally she'll stop trying to sell my soul to the highest bidder."

"You know will only make it worse, right? I mean, give me the play by play here, what's your plan? You're gonna tell her straight-up that the kid's a felon? _A pretty felon?_ Felon would have her pissed but a _pretty-boy_ felon would have her interested." Marcus rolled his eyes. "I never understood her unhealthy fascination with _your_ life in particular. She's never bothered me with mine."

"Marcus..." Harvey sighed. "You married an Italian Mafia Princess. Do you _think_ even Lily had the balls to compete with that? She's gonna be sleeping with the fishes sooner than she'd like if Linda so much as _scent the air_ for any of her schemes. Plus..." he motions to himself. "Big Hotshot Manhattan Lawyer who just made Name Partner. I'm the biggest steak she has right now."

"She'll be so pissed when she sees you brought Mike." Marcus pointed his eyes towards the bar again. "How's he fairing? It can't be anything bad seeing as you decided to bring him along."

"He's... unique” Harvey said, contemplating. "He's a natural-born charmer. He's got Zane to _giggle_ and Chris was trading innuendos with him when I caught them in the corridor. He's charming, witty, and brilliant. He flirts like a really bad rom-com but for some reason it fits him really well. He's going to give these Beverly Hills Boys a run for their money at tomorrow's party."

"Da--yumn, Harvey." Marcus' tone grew from playful to serious.

"What?" It surprised him. He turned to look at his brother and all he got was Marcus' confused face number 1. "What?" He grit out.

"You're smitten with him!" Marcus guessed, sounding like the idea was bizarre even to his own ears. "Shit. Bro, this is crazy and not to mention classic rom-com. Fake a relationship and end up falling in-love. Shit." he made a noise between a laugh and a groan. He gave his older brother a pitiful look.

"Excuse me?" Harvey questioned. "Marcus where the fuck did that come from? I don't even know the guy, erhm, kid. How the fuck am I _smitten_? I've barely said a word about him!"

"Harvey" the way Marcus said his name made him freeze. It was a tone the younger Specter rarely used. "You being you. A few kind words is like sonnets for others. And you did it _without_ being put into duress. It was all on your own."

"I..."

"And now you're at a loss for words." Marcus pointed out. "Harvey--"

Whatever he was about to say next was cut off because Linda and Mike had returned to their side. The pair was laughed at an inside joke between them. His lovely wife cradled a curved glass of Irish Coffee in her hand, and offered some as she slid close to his side.

"What are you two boys talking about?" she inquired playfully. "You should try this. Mike's recipe is really good. Not too sweet nor too bitter with just enough alcohol." She hummed close to Marcus' shoulder.

Across them, Mike mirrored her movements, burying his face on the side of Harvey's neck like he's been doing it for years instead of a few hours. Harvey breathed in the smell of the younger man, mixed with the California breeze---it was warm, masculine, and just on the side of sweet. He unconsciously leaned closer and scented Mike's hair.

"We were just talking about how you two seem to hit it off." Marcus answered with a pout. "Ready to trade me in for a younger man already?" He made a faux-shocked expression. "I'm appalled! I don't even have grey hairs yet."

She laughed and pinched his sides. "Yes, but you aren't as slim as you used to be either. Look I can where I can pinch!"

"Hey!"

"Your brother and his wife are adorable." Mike whispered to Harvey. Then he nosed up the side of Harvey's cheek, hoisting himself up on his toes, to lean closer to Harvey's ear. "She knows. Your brother told her about me."

"Oh?" Harvey pretended to be amused. "...Did she?" he turned his head to place another kiss on Mike's forehead. An arm wrapped itself around Mike's back, burrowing securely inside a back pocket. The open show of affection was expected yet no less thrilling, Harvey grinned at the shiver than ran down Mike's body.  For a second, he allowed himself to fantasize about that same responsiveness in bed.

"I thought we agreed no trading me in until _after_ Thanksgiving?"

In response, Harvey felt a hand curl over his stomach as the boy settled beside him. "Naah." Mike made a happy little noise as he nestled his face against Harvey's neck. "She's pretty short and her hair smells like flowers. You're height won't give me neck cramps and..." he made a show of sniffling Harvey's neck. "You smell amazing~"

"Hey bros, mind chilling on the PDA?" Chris yelled with a disgusted face poolside. Zane and Dillan were seated one of the recliners beside them. "You're giving the confident independent single women of the family performance issues!" she said laughing in chorus with her sister.

"God knows why you two have unbelievably high standards in love!" Marcus taunted back humorously. "Come on, darling" he cooed softly to Linda. "Let's go save our Dillan from those two witches!"

Harvey and Mike watched the pair go, unknowingly still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Your siblings are nice." Mike mentioned, off-handed, keeping his head on Harvey's shoulder.

"You like'em?"

"Ah-hum..." he hums. “They’re pretty cool."

"Just cool?" Harvey prods, leaning into the touch while they stand at the edge of the pool. The California sunset was still on the horizon. He gazed upon his siblings. He felt, for the first time in ages, somewhat blessed to have them. He had to admit that Mike was a calming influence to his normally sour mood. "I think they're pretty awesome."

Mike's laugh reverberated through their chests. "You're a proud cheeky bastard." he announced.

"I'm a proud cheeky bastard that you're dating." Harvey corrected. He ignored the flutter in his chest when he said it. The words felt right but the situation didn't. Perhaps it was wrong to ask Mike to come? Or maybe it was wrong to pretend this was a charade? It felt the farthest thing from a lie and the closest thing to a connection that he's experienced in years.

"Fake dating" the boy corrected. His heart plummeted. But he couldn't fault Mike. He did, after all, draft the terms for this arrangement.

"Fake kiss me, then." he urges, nosing at Mike's cheek.

Mike snickered. "There's no way to fake a kiss, Harvey."

"I don't care." Harvey pressed. "Kiss me with the sunrise in the background and we'll be the cheesiest rom-com gay couple in the history of California."

This time, Mike's laugh echoed through the near-empty estate. It was beautiful and light and brought their audience to attention without them noticing.

"Well... if you put if like that, councillor." Mike said with a cheeky expression. He let his fingers playfully walk up the curve of Harvey's waist coast. "I have no further arguments." He brought his hand up and wrapped it at the back of Harvey's neck.

It was nothing like their first kiss. Mike opened his mouth and Harvey's tongue skirted along the edges. They exchanged the taste of alcohol between them, Mike's Brooklyn and Harvey's Manhattan, chasing the sweetness inside each other's mouths. Mike's grip slipped up to the loose strands of hair on the back of Harvey's neck. Harvey angled their bodies closer, wrapping his free arm around the other man.

Their lips were soft and breaths were warm against their cheeks. Mike raised his chin up just a tiny bit, and then the kiss was perfect. It was like their heights were perfectly made to suit each other---like two pieces of a puzzle piece. He trailed his other hand to the side of the older man's face, tracing the contours of brows and cheeks and jaw. He drifted down to the column of neck, curve of a shoulder, then fisted the material on across Harvey's chest.

They could have continued on for longer except the need for air had grown too great.

"Fuck" Mike exhaled against Harvey's curving lips.

"That can be arranged."

"Get a room!" Marcus' shout was a potent mood destroyer. "I'm sure this grandeur will have more than enough. Keep your pants on!"

"Marcus!" Zane chastised then elbowed him on the side. "We were enjoying the show."

True to her words, Chris, Linda, and herself, had hearts in their eyes, cooing over the pair.

"Jesus, these women." Marcus shook his head.

A tall pale man walked into view. "Dear guests, the mistress requests your presence in the cellar. I believe dinner is ready to be served."

"Fuck" Mike repeated the word but with an entirely different meaning.

"Relax, kid." Harvey said with a reassuring tone. For good measure, he let his thumb trace over the Mike's kiss-swollen lips. "You'll go great."

***

Lily was a Beverly Hills Housewife in each and every sense of the term; from her large blonde hair down to her she-devil red-painted toes. She was short--or rather, she wasn't tall. She stood a foot below her latest husband who was a statuesque man. Her long one-shoulder red gown creating the illusion of height, along with her four-inch golden heels. She wore large ruby red earrings that dangled down to her exposed collarbones.

Her face though, no matter how she tried to hide it with Botox and make-up, was old.

"Marcus!" she greeted him with a smile but her eyes widened when she saw her eldest son. "Harvey! I thought you couldn't make it."

"I didn't come for you." he answered flatly and avoided her attempted embrace. She frowned, lips pressed into a thin line, before smiling again seconds later to greet Linda.

"Linda. It's so nice to see you again! How's your father?"

"Still in Italy with Mama." Lily nodded absentmindedly and didn't appear to even be listening. Instead, she was busy fussing over everyone to get seated at the table. "I'm so happy that my children are complete!" she clapped. "And look at those genes! They all take after me, don't they, James?"

None of the children made a peep. She still hadn't given Mike a second glance.

"Chris, why don't you have your boyfriend sit at the end of the table?"

Chris nearly choked on her water but managed to spit out instead.

"Christine! Manners at the table!"

Zane patted her sister on the back.

"Mom, he's not my..."

Harvey saw the moment and took it.

"He's actually my boyfriend." he announced proudly and looped their fingers together. The look on their faces was priceless and sneaky little Linda has her camera prepared for it.

~ _snap. snap. snap._

He smiled at Mike and lifted the blonde's knuckles to his lips, kissing it one by one in front of his entire family like it was the simplest thing in the world. He grinned like a cat at Mike's embarrassed face.

"Lily, James, Hailey, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Mike." He planted a chaste kiss on the side of Mike's head, and deliberately nuzzled Mike's hair. "That big brain of yours can figure out who's who."

There was a pregnant silence as tension rose inside the cramped cellar.

Mike clung to Harvey's hand like an anchor and moved into the older man's space. Harvey ran another hand down Mike's side and soothingly told him to "Relax, Mike. I'm right here beside you." Then he leaned close and murmured low. "You're going to be a good boy for me, aren't you?"

'Yes' he wanted to say.

He mentally braced himself.

It was now or never.

He turned into Harvey's embrace and stuck out his bottom lip. "Harveeeeey" he said with an added ounce of _whine_ in his voice. "You didn't tell her that I was coming, did you?" He gave the small family his coyest expression and apologized. "You _promised_ me that you'd tell her about me... about us... isn't this what the entire weekend is about? Me getting to know your family?"

"It is." Harvey's voice was calm and assured. A hand came to rest on Mike's hip. "I wanted you to be a surprise." he turned to Lily and stared her straight in the eye. "Surprised?"

A mischievous look on Mike's face, one that was meant to be seductive and obscene---he lowered his face, fluttered his lashes, and mouthed at the skin beneath Harvey's ear.

"You're been a bad boy, _Mr. Specter_ " he accused in a tone that was anything but, tongue rolling on the 'r' like a purr. "I don't play well with bad boys." and, well, shit. Harvey didn't have to pretend that his body was interested. He doubted that anyone in the room was blink to the way his dick twitched inside his pants. No one was safe, not even his nephew.

"Daddy" Dillan called out, pulling on his father's sleeve. "Why did Uncle Harvey's pants move?" he asked, giggling. "His snake is alive!"

That was when Lily turned red with rage.

"Harvey Reginald Specter!" she all but shouted. "I demand to know what the meaning of this is. Who is that and why did you bring him here?"

"Mike's my boyfriend and my date." Harvey defended, settling into lawyer-mode.

"He wasn't invited." She said flatly. "Because he doesn't exist."

"I beg to differ" he countered. "And if you invited me, you invited him. I'm not going anywhere without him. He goes, I go. That's the deal, Lily, if you want me to stay."

"He's standing right here." Mike declared with a defiant stance. "And doesn't deserved to be talked to like a third person."

Harvey looked genuinely sorry. Either that, or he was secretly a really good actor. Mike's outburst had caught him off-guard. "I'm sorry, Mike." he was surprised when a hand gently rested on his cheeks. Suddenly he had a face full of the gorgeous young man that he was pretending to be dating.

"It's okay" Mike said and kissed his nose. "I know you didn't mean it. You can make it up to me later." He kissed Harvey on the cheek. "You know how I love make-up se---sexy times." he caught his slip and sent an apologetic look to the younger married couple. "Ooopsies. I forgot to keep it g-rated for Dillan." he leaned in closer but intentionally made his voice loud. "We'll keep the higher rated stuff in our rooms, won't we?"

"You're amazing" Harvey said with a laugh---and he meant it.

"But you aren't even _gay_." Lily spit out the last word like a curse.

Harvey brazenly cupped Mike's ass and raised an eyebrow, making the boy squeak.

"Would you like a demonstration?"

"Harvey!" She let out a heavy sigh. "Will you stop being such a child and send your escort back to which ever agency you got him from? I don't believe this charade for a second. That boy is obviously too young for you."

"Excuse me, ma'am," Mike cut in, betting that the word would make her fume. It did. Bingo. "But I don't think that you're in any position to judge us."

She narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly to you mean?"

Mike knew that he had her. He felt Harvey tense then relax. Harvey knew it too.

"I meant to say that love comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There shouldn't be a cookie-cutter way to define it. No one should be able to say otherwise. Who we are, what we are, shouldn't matter. Love is love. Age and sex and social status shouldn't matter."

"Mike's right." Harvey agreed. "Finding true love is the most important thing in the world."

"Very funny." Lily scoffed with her armed crossed. "You never struck me as a romantic, Harvey. I thought you were a realist."

"I got it from my father." he shot back, hot as lava.

"Harvey, Lily" James called them out. "Will you both please stop it? Every year, Jesus you two, can you stop bickering for two hours so that we can enjoy a nice family pre-thanksgiving dinner? The food in the kitchen is going to go cold." He said with a frown.

Harvey made a sweeping gesture towards the older woman.

"Lily..." James sighed. "You wanted him here. You got him. Harvey is here and he has a date. Why should it matter? This is supposed to be a time for celebration not condemnation. All your children are complete. It's time for family."

"That _punk_ isn't family." she bit out.

"He is to your eldest son whether you like it or not." he rubbed his temples.

"James, you can't believe this... this... shenanigan, do you?" she complained. "He's doing it to smite me. Harvey still hasn't forgiven me for his father."

Harvey opened his mouth, ready for a retort, but a hand shot out to his. "Mike?" he questioned quietly.

Mike shook his head. "No don't" he said. "Look. They're going to implode on their own."

"Lily, your son is a grown man and a successful lawyer. He has too many things to be worried about than making his mother miserable on Thanksgiving. Now, we agreed to host this entire celebration at your request. These are you children. Give Harvey some credit." He gave Harvey a meaningful look then gave Lily a placating smile. "Please, Lily? Just for tonight can we try to be a normal family?"

She slumped her shoulders and inwardly groaned. "Okay" she nodded but it did not stop her from glaring daggers in Mike and Harvey's direction. "This conversation isn't over, Harvey."

Harvey had to physically fight-off the grin which threatened to show on his face.

"Careful there, Harvey" Mike teased. "Your internal boasting is leaking" he said poking at the side of Harvey's lip. To which Harvey responded with trying to bite off the blonde's finger.

"Seriously" Marcus groaned from behind them. "Get a _room_ guys. Jesus! A man is trying to eat dinner not watch your smooch-show."

The room burst out in laughter. Finally, the tension in the room began to melt like butter and the air eventually cleared enough for conversation to re-start. A fleet of butlers came and served their food in trays, course after course with silver dish covers.

Mike moaned around his fork and made other sounds there were making Harvey's pants uncomfortable.

"Quit it" he reprimanded with a kick to Mike's foot.

"Harvey, I'm just enjoying the meal." and the bounce in his tone was a clear indication of something else.

"Behave and I'll let you enjoy dessert even more."

"Guys, your line are horrible!" Marcus complained.

Linda elbowed her husband, _hard_.

"No, no, you boys go on. The girls and I are perfectly fine over hear, watching."

"You guys are so in-love. It's adorable!" Zane cooed.

Chris chuckled into her drink. "You're worse than Marcus and Linda when they first got married."

"Hey!" Linda protested.

Another round of laughter echoed the hall.

Harvey couldn't help but feel the pride well-up in his chest and the odd fluttering inside his stomach. This actually felt nice, being around his siblings like the old days. It felt like family. With Mike by his side, he felt like he had just gone home for Thanksgiving---for the first time in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Yes, I'm rushing the chapters because I want this all finished by Thanksgiving Weekend, at the latest.)
> 
> Pray for me my dear readers. My thesis proposal is due in 12-hrs. And my thesismates and I are just at starting to write! FUCK. *cries*dies*


	4. Bonding and Disasters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Breakfast. Pool. 
> 
> Oh yeah. Mike meets the last of Harvey's sisters--Hailey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
> 
> For all your wonderful support, I give you porn.

Mike awoke feeling warm and comfortable since... he can't really remember the last time he did not wake up with a stiff neck or sore muscles. He felt like he had slept for ages, snoozing comfortably within thick cozy blankets and the steady thudding against his cheeks. He could stay here forever if Harvey let him. He made a happy noise and nuzzled against the sleep-warm flesh even more, hiding his cold nose from the freezing air.

Harvey grumbled and moved away, shivering from the cold-to-hot contact. "How ... hmmm cold?" he mumbled sleepily without noticing his missing words. In his sleep, he cuddled close with face smashed against Mike's hair, arm tight like a vice around Mike's waist, and legs slithered between Mike's legs like a snake.

It was completely unfair how adorable the sharp-tongued man became a teddy bear overnight--snugly and pliant.

When was the last time he slept so comfortably with another person?

It was nice. Harvey cuddled closer, lining up their bodied from knee to shoulder, tucking his morning wood between Mike's cheeks and gently rubbed. A warm buzz of pleasure began forming at the base of Mike's spine, curling heavily into his balls as he felt himself harden.

"Harvey~" he'd meant to call the other man but it came out as a moan. The other man seemed intent to rub-off against him. "Harvey..." he tried again, voice scratchy from hours of not being used. He groaned low and deep when Harvey pressed hard making him feel the brush of cock against his scrotum. His hole clenched and unclenched in anticipation.

He was a young well-bodied man. Who would fault him for reacting to the drop-dead gorgeous specimen behind him? He curled his fingers over Harvey's wrist, the one slung over his waist, and guided it down underneath his tented pajama bottoms. Harvey was pliant because he was asleep and Mike relished in the feeling of skin against skin, the heel of Harvey's palm over his cock.

"God you feel so good" he moaned aloud, half of him wanting to wake Harvey up. He covered the commandeered hand with his own and began thrusting lightly, curling Harvey's fingers to cup him in the most delicious way. "Oh god" Harvey felt amazing, assaulting him on both fronts.

There was a growl. It was the only warning he got before Harvey's hand closed around his dick and _squeezed. _

"Oh shit Jesus fuck." he threw he head back.

"Naughty naughty" Harvey purred. If the tone wasn't enough, Mike could _feel_ the smile on the side of his cheeks. He opened his eyes hazily and saw the dark pupils of Harvey's eyes, browning a thin line around the irises, filled with lust. "You think you deserve to come after starting without me?"

Mike pushed his bottoms down to his knees and kicked them off. He spread his legs invitingly, sliding his buttocks against Harvey's erection. He reached down with his hands and tugged his cock alongside Harvey's hand, his pre-come and sweat covering both their fingers.

"Please" he begged, not knowing what else to say. He was so fucking hard and Harvey's hand felt so fucking good. He hooked on leg over Harvey's, curling the foot on the back of Harvey's shin, and exposed himself more. He wanted Harvey to touch him more. "Please, Harvey, please."

"Where?" the man nibbled his ear, teasingly.

"Here" he replied without hesitation. He guided Harvey's hand to his balls. "I like it..." he confessed, somewhat breathless as the sensations on his cock threatened to overwhelm him. He shuddered. "...I like it when you play with my balls. I like it when you squeeze them." and Harvey did, making his does curl and his nipples harden. "Fuuuuuck."

"What else?" Harvey murmured along the column of his neck. "What else do you like, Mike?"

Mike dragged his shirt over his pecs, uncaring for the mess of pre-cum he trailed over his stomach and chest. He took Harvey's other hand, the one he'd been using as a pillow, and pinched his perk nipple using Harvey's finger. "I like feeling good without my dick being touched 'cause I come too fast."

"Oh?"

"Y--yeah--wo--wooaaah! Harvey what are you--- _oh_ " he opened his lips to a perfect 'o'. He lay stretched on top of Harvey, his back to Harvey's chest, gravity doing all the work of bringing them closer. He had a leg on either side of Harvey's, feet planted on the bed. He should feel exposed and vulnerable about this position but instead he felt so unbelievably hot.

"You're so wet" Harvey bemused and lightly tugged on his balls. "For a guy. I bet you're going to leak all over your cute little hole, won't you, _baby_?" The unexpected endearment made Mike spurt even more pre-cum. It gushed out of his skin-covered head, dripping down his shaft, running over his balls, and trickled down his crease. Another bolt of electricity shot up his spine when he felt it on his hole.

Harvey hummed and continued rolling his balls between those long lean fingers. Pinkie naughtily touching Mike's quivering hole every other roll until Mike was vibrating with anticipation. "Harvey, please" he gasped and jerked, surprising the other man as the tip of the pinkie easily slipped him. "There! Yes! More!"

It was warm and wet and slippery from Mike's pre-cum alone. Another jerk and he ground down on Harvey's raging erection. All coherent thoughts faded from Harvey's brain. Without hesitation, he plunged his index finger up to the third knuckle and Mike opened up for him beautiful, swallowing him down and sucking him deeper.

"Jesus H. Christ, Mike. You're...fuck." because the spasms around his finger had already melted his brain. He loved every second, every sound, and every expression on Mike's blissful face---open, honest, and expressive with sweat clinging to the golden strands of hair and making the pale skin shine. The angle was off but he dug his fingers upward and grazed the Mike's magic bundle of nerves.

The boys in his arms jerked so hard that his legs were momentarily suspended in the air, jerking.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Harvey, there! Right there. It's feel so good fuck. You're amazing. Your fingers are amazing. Fuck just _right there_. Oh my god. Harvey. Oh my... _god_ " Mike made a noise between a deep exhale and a ragged moan.

"I'm doing this wrong if you're still coherent." he teased.

Mike scoffed "Who the fuck say co----oh--oh--oh" he had to stop because Harvey began to mercilessly plunder his prostate with every thrust, twisting those long fingers, spreading him wide and open. Then the bastard wrapped a hand around his dick and began to stroke in perfect sync with the hand fucking up his ass.

"HA--AH--AH--ARVEY!" he yelled, shouting his release. His body curled in half, pelvis digging into Harvey's cock, and legs shuddered all the way down to his curled toes. Wave after wave of spasms hit him. Until he could not think about anything except the gentle cooing in his ear, hand spreading the cooling cum on his chest, and fingers gingering playing with his ass. "Harvey~" he murmured quietly, softly, tenderly while he nosed at Harvey's jaw.

Harvey couldn't help but smile at the affectionate gesture. He could give the world to stay like this for longer---

\---but Lily had other plans.

"Harvey, darling, it's time for---" Lily strode in without a care for privacy or etiquette because her husband rented the house and it mean that she had free reign over anyone staying over for the weekend. Her dark eyes narrowed at the sight before her: the... man-whore was on top of her son looking like he was out of it. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"Oh for heaven's sake! Those are Pima Cotton Sheets! Do you know how _expensive_ they are to clean, not to mention, how much they cost?!" she shrieked, pulling at the duvet, and exposing the half-naked body of her son's companion. She sneered. "You're still _here..._ “and she rolled her eyes.   

Harvey growled and turned, protectively covering Mike with the length of his body. He even went as far to cup Mike's over sensitive member to hide it from her view. He curled around the younger man with fierce determination. Anger boiled inside him. "You---" he stopped "Get. Out. Now." he growled again, teeth bared, without a hint of forgiveness in his eyes. "Or so help me, I will personally file the sexual assault charges against you. I will not stop until you lose your husband and every single cent in your name. Get out!"

"I'm your mother!"

"I regret it every day. OUT!"

There was a loud bang but Harvey didn't bother seeing her out.

"Mike?" he whispered to the body frozen beside him but to no avail. "Mike?" He tried again. He could feel the younger man shaking under his touch. He held on closer but the shaking merely intensified. He frowned. This weekend isn't worth it. _She_ wasn't worth it. He hated her more right now that he had when he first discovered she was sleeping around. She---

"OH.MY.GOD." Mike suddenly burst. "I think we broke her." he said, flashing Harvey a grin, hands wrapped around his sides because he was _laughing_ so hard.

"What the---?"

"Mike 5: Specter 0" He unconsciously said aloud.

“Mike 5: Specter what?" Harvey prompted with curiosity. He rolled them back around and ended with Mike curled on one side while he bracketed the blond with body. "Come on" he cajoled, licking up and down Mike's neck like a cat, because he had learned it was a quirk. He raised an eyebrow when the other man just giggled.   

"Were you mentally counting how many members of my family you charmed?"

Mike turned his head and grinned, ear to ear, almost splitting his face.

"Yes"

"And how does Lily catching us having sex count as a win?"

"Because you don't like her and I can see it in your face that you enjoyed making her suffer." he replied cheekily. "I'm awesome, right?" then it faded. "And no, if that was sex, then I seriously have to reconsider article seventeen because, as far as I know, that was masturbation---really good masturbation but still a dick-in-my-ass short of sex."

Harvey couldn't help but laugh.

"How are you so bubbly in the morning?"

"I don't know" Mike answered with a smile, one hand coming up to caress Harvey's cheek. "I must have had a really good pillow last night. These _Pima Cotton Sheet_ must have been _marrrrrvelous_." He purred on the 'r' again.

It would have been cheesy but on Mike it was a turn-on. A lot of things with Mike were a turn-on.

"Come on, then." He prompted and pushed up to his knees.

"Where are we going?"

"I saw a Roman-style tub in the en-suite bathroom. Wanna test out my theory?" He crawled down the length of Mike's frame, lapping and nipping and worshiping every inch of skin he could reach.

"That theory?" asked Mike, chuckling. He opened his mouth for a throaty groan when Harvey started sucking on his toe. Funny, that had never triggered anything in his before.

"That it was designed to fit more than two people."

Mike had to force his eyes from rolling to the back of his head. His disk made a valiant effort to join the upcoming party.

"Oh yes, please."

***

With some effort, and a lot of vigorous sex on every surface of the bathroom, they managed to go downstairs to a dining area adjourning the kitchen. The smell of this morning's breakfast was still fresh in the air, mixing in with the scent of the burning wood of the open-fire and freshly picked wild flowers.

" _Oh~_ " Mike salivated when he entered the room. "That smells so good~"

"Thank you" the familiar voice of Linda greeted him, which surprised the freshly woken couple. "I am tempted to believe that was more than flattery." She blatantly opened and smirked. She crossed her arms over the ridiculous pink embroidered thing that looked more like a sitcom prop rather than a real apron. Her eyes widened comically. "Or maybe it was... could you two be any more obvious?"

A simple phrase made Mike feel more shy that his accidental voyeurism.

"Linda" Harvey chastised but was too soft around the edges to actually have any bearing. "Be nice."

She let out a hearty laugh. "Of course I'm being nice, Harvey. Why do you think I'm in the kitchen on my vacation?"

"Why are you here in the kitchen, Linda?" Mike asked, genuinely curious. "Didn't you already have breakfast? You don't look like you've just woken up."

"Oh. I was up." she confirmed. "But..." and on cue, a groan came from the doorway and Marcus trudged in, kissing his wife on the cheek without noticing the other in the room.”Good Morning, Bella" he said, nuzzling the side of her face.

"Unlike this guys, here." She patted him on the head affectionately. "I know how to restrain myself and hold my liquor. Someone has got the feed the poor thing or he'll lose those adorable love handles. That, and 'cause the in-house caterer already started with preparations for tonight."

Marcus made a protesting noise but ultimately gave up in favour for scenting his wife's hair. "Hmmmm..."

"Dillan?" she asked him.

"Chris" he mumbled back.

"He looks dead on his feet" Mike commented lightly. "I'll go get some coffee. Would you like some, Linda?" she shook her head. "Okay, just three then" he nodded and kissed Harvey on the cheek without really thinking about it.

"Ahh-hum..." she made an obvious noise. “Your boy..." she started, being careful with her worlds. "He's nice." She settled her puppy-dog husband on one of the stools with a back rest, then went behind the counter to check on her cooking---simple bacons and eggs. Bacons in one pan sizzling while eggs were scrambled in another.

"Really, really, nice, Harvey" she said sounding more like a reprimand for him rather than a praise for Mike. It made something unsettle in Harvey's chest.

"He is."

She gives him a stern look, one she definitely inherited from the Godfather himself that would rattle any man's resolve, even NYC's best goddamn closer. He visibly swallowed.

"How the _hell_ did a kid like him get knocked into this kind of life?"

Harvey tightened his jaw and pressed his lips together. He lowered his hands and wrung his hands together, a rare display of vulnerability. It's a testament to how close they really are that he allowed himself such freedom. He shook his head.

"I would tell you" He confessed with his head down. "But it's not my story to tell, Linda."

She gave him a non-committal hum and plated their food. Three separate plates were laid down on the large ornate marble tabletop. It was steamy and delicious and smelled like _home_ to Harvey. This was something that he missed, the sense of closeness with his family that he avoided like the plague because... he didn't want to be disappointed.

Linda held the last plate hostage, forcing him to look at her. She smiled warmly.

"That's goddamn loyalty."

He takes the plate and grinned back.

"I guess it is."

Mike came back in expertly juggling three steaming hot beverages in his hands with impressive looking toppers.

"What's all this?" Harvey couldn't suppress his smirk when he asked. "You played with the coffeemaker, didn't you? Is this why you took so long?" He took the liberty of first pick. He hooked his pinkie over the cup with the tallest dollop of whipped cream with a childlike expression on his face.

Linda chose the plainest one for her half-awake spouse. "Thank you, Mike."

Mike ducked his head with the corner of his lips curving up. His shyness faded when he caught sight of the plate she readied for him. "You're an angel from heaven." he said with a toothy grin before digging into the food with gusto.

"You're sweet but you're way too young for me" she teased back.

"No hitting on my wife." Marcus said over his food. "You're already got the big fish of the family." He took his first sip of coffee and a _moan_ erupted from his throat. "Oh sweet Jesus. Leave my brother and come to my Harlem. All the free pizza you can eat. All you have to do is make this for me every day."

"Marcus!" Lily giggled. "One, it's _our_ Harlem. Two, he'll be making _us_ both coffee if he agrees." She makes a playful ploy for his cup and takes a sip. "Oh my..." she was dumbstruck with awe. ”Yes. We definitely have to share him."

Mike laughed but shook his head. "As much as I appreciate the offer. I don't think I can leave this guy. He might be a little old but, trust me, he ain't obsolete." He playfully nudged Harvey's leg under the table and Harvey nudged him back seconds later.

Zane came down a few minutes later.

"This is where the Specter brothers have been hiding. Hiding from mom, are you? I heard you had a fight." She jested light-heartedly.

"She came in without knocking and I told her to get out." Harvey replied confidently, no hint of shame in his tone. He actually looked like a preening peacock at the attention.

"Ouch" she made a face. "Some fight. What happened?"

Mike's crimson blush was enough of an answer for the whole room.

"Ohhhh" she mouthed as if it weren't obvious. "Well. Dillan's asking to go use the pool. I came down here to ask if any of you wanted to join us. We can play chicken! We've got even numbers now." Her entire face beamed like it was the most brilliant idea in the world. "We haven't played chicken in YEARS! Okay, no question. You're all required to play. Bathing suits and trunk." She gave the boys a look. "Nope, no shorts, just trunks. And let's go play!"

***

Even a simple afternoon by the pool turned out to be not so simple with Harvey and his siblings. The girls were all in Victoria's Secret swimwear, Marcus was wearing knee-length half-sleeved surfer's suit, Dillan was adorable in his R2D2 rash-guard and Harvey and he were dressed in matching black Speedos. Of course, all the girls cooed.

"Finally!" Chris exclaimed when Harvey and Mike join them. She immediately latches onto Mike's arm. "Mike you haven't met Hailey, our youngest sister, James' daughter. Hailey, this is Mike, Harvey's boyfriend." she introduces them. "We're switching up the pairing. You two are paired together."

She then matched the rest of the participants---Harvey and Linda, Marcus and Zane, Dillan and her.

"Hi" Mike greeted the new face, feeling a bit self-conscious. Out of everyone here, she took after her mother the most. It was easy enough to picture Lily looking exactly the same at eighteen, no traces of James was evident on her face. "Sorry about last night."

Her face was like steel. She frowned with her arms crossed. "Funny how we all never knew that big brother was seeing anyone and how your name never once came up before today, _Mike_." she spit out his name like it was an insult. She eyed him head to toe. "Isn't that curious? That he expected us all to believe he was a long committed relationship without any of us knowing about you?"

Mike prided himself in keeping his head cool.

"Marcus and Linda know me just fine." He shrugged. "Must be 'cause the rest of you are out here in the West Coast. He is his own free man. I don't see how living his life the way he wants to affects you lot over here."

"Maybe he's ashamed of you." she sneered.

'Maybe he is of you' he wanted to taunt back but it was childish. Instead he opted for "Maybe he wanted to keep me away from all the drama."

"He can do so much better than you."

"Oh, no doubt in that." He agreed but he wasn't finished. He leaned close so only she could hear him. "But you know what, that's okay because he _chose_ me. Over all the models, and the rich young corporate leaders, and the Beverly Hills Royalty... Harvey Specter chose me. Now if you know your brother as well as you think you do, you'll understand why that means something."

"Come on!" Dillan yelled with excitement. "Aunt Hailey, Uncle Mike, let's play!" he called with a clap.

"Go on" Chris urged "Climb up his shoulders already, Hailey! He's gay. He's with Harvey. He's not interested in what's between your legs."

The rest of the group laughed, except Harvey who had his eyes trained on his sister.

Mike lowered his shoulders under the pool water. He tapped it twice to signal her.

"Drop me" she warned "and you're dead."

 _This already feels worse than a death sentence_ , he said in his head.

She dutifully climbed on his shoulders ungracefully, stepping on his thigh then his forearm before she could get seated. Her complete lack of faith in his showed when she refused to lock her feet under her arms pits and hold on to his hand when he offered. He sighed and lifted her out of the water. She rose with a loud squawk.

"Simple rules" Chris, the official game master, announced. "No kicking, nothing below the belt, no going too far down the deep-end. Taunts and hand-to-hand are encouraged. Bases interacting with each other (i.e. Harvey, Marcus, Mike, and Chris) are allowed. Any of the chicks hit the water, automatically out. Last chick standing will be the winner. Got it?"

Everyone said their affirmatives.

"Let's play!"

Linda faced-off with her son and Zane went for Hailey. Linda was ruthless, not giving into any of Dillan's moves, she countered each and every one of his attacks. For his part, Harvey met Chris attempts to out-balance them by charging straight at her. The timing was perfect, Dillan tried to pull away and Harvey charged at the other pair, Linda did a twist-and-drag manoeuvre and brought the boy crashing into the water. Dillan and Chris surfaced moments later, laughing their heads off.

"Good game, D" Linda praised. "You still need to work on your fakes, though. Plus, you still favour left way too much. I could see it a mile away." She kissed him on the cheek as he wadded out of the pool to the safety of a lounge chair.

Meanwhile, the fight between Zane and Hailey was evenly matched. Sister met sister in the middle of the pool, their bases were firm and unyielding. After a stumble, Mike grabbed onto Hailey's shins and willed her back into position when she threatened to topple over. Zane was gracious enough and did not take advantage of the lapse.

His shoulder began to strain after a while and Mike wanted it to be finished. He waited for the opportune moment to get the other man's attention "Hey, Marcus." the man turned to him. "I think your nipples are hard."

"What?" and that was all it took. Marcus reached for his nipple and Zane's leg got loose. She lost her balance not five seconds later, tumbling into the back-first, releasing her hold on Marcus' head at once. They both surfaced; Zane with heavy breathing and Marcus coughing out accidentally ingested pool water.

The other pairs clapped.

"Ladies and boy~ we have our semi-finalists!"

The pairs met in the middle of the pool. Linda and Hailey, already assessing each other's weaknesses.

"Ready, _rookie_?" Harvey taunted with a smirk. He gripped Linda's knees so tight that his knuckles turned white.

Mike raised his eyebrow, flirting back, but he kept his hands on Hailey's shins.  "I think I can handle you, old man."

"Go!!!" Chris yelled.

The girls met at the first hit, a direct attack on both ends meant to propel their opponent backwards. Equal force mean that neither of them succeeded so they both pulled away. Harvey and Mike were matched as well, circling around the pool with a bit of bounce in their steps.

"Linda" he signaled and she nodded from above him. On the next move, Linda caught Hailey's elbow in her hand but Mike was quick enough to move away.

"Stop moving!" Hailey hissed from above him. "I had that."

"Yeah right" Mike rolled his eyes. "I'm not saving your ass next time."

"Charge!" Hailey demanded, kicking his sides like she would a horse. She should have said 'giddy-yup' and Mike would have felt less like a donkey. She ducked Linda's arms and headed full-throttle to the other woman's chest, intending it to be the final decisive blow. Instead, their opponents were ready and an arm hooked under her arms pits.

Mike swore when she kicked him on the side, intentional or not, it hurt.

Linda used Hailey's weight against her and pulled where Hailey was trying to assert herself. She tipped the younger girl over, forcing Hailey to double-over and dive head-first into the pool. The girl panicked. She never when she hit the water, mouth open and unready. She first gripped her legs then began thrashing about. The five feet suddenly looked too deep and she felt like she was going to drown. She clung to the person between her legs who kept her from sinking.

Mike, at first, was ready to take the fall. He readied himself for the splash of water. What he didn't expect was Hailey's thighs nearly crushing his windpipe and momentarily starving him of air. He grew light-headed as he fought to break through the surface but she held him down.

"Hailey!"

"Mike!"

Several voiced called out to them.

"Mike!"

He pushed her legs off his shoulders and boosted her up. It was a big mistake. She over compensated by bending her knee when she flutter kicked and hit him right on the side of his face. The sharp pain exploded from the side of his face. He had opened his mouth to cry out and ended up with a lung full of water. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But I am evil and I'm ending it with a cliffhanger. 
> 
> May be last chapter after this? 
> 
> Just a note. I'm unsure about Hailey. I kinda don't like her. But she also kinda doesn't deserve to be evil.


	5. Making it Real Fun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, thank you to all those who have commented, kudos-ed, and bookmarked this story! I hope you enjoy this chapter~

Harvey watched the entire thing in slow motion---Linda tipped Hailey off-balance, the fear registering on Hailey's face and then panic, Hailey disoriented and panicked in the water, and Mike.

Mike was motionless after Hailey's initial splashes. 

"Mike!"

Harvey was horrified.

Chris and Linda dived into the water simultaneously, bracketing Hailey on both sides. There was red stains in the water near Mike's head. Harvey surged forward, diving on autopilot and reaching out for the blonde who was slowly sinking to the bottom of the pool. His eyes stung with the chlorine but he couldn't close his eyes.

He was chilled to the bone with fear but he forced body to obey his mind.

Mike.

Mike.

The boy had his head down and a trail of red slowly dissipated in the water.

He wasn't moving.

Mike!

Harvey swam faster, kicking his legs and using his arms. He did not stop until he had his arms around Mike's torso and was hauling the younger man back into the surface. He carried Mike on his back while he paddled back to the edge of the pool.

"Mike!"

"Harvey!"

His siblings yelled but he barely noticed any of them. He swung Mike's prone form onto the pebbled poolside then jumped out of the water.  He settled on his knees beside the blonde. He was shaking. His hands trembled as they reached for Mike face.

Mike was pale. Water dripped out of his half-parted lips.

"MOVE!" was all the warning that Harvey got before he was shoved aside by his sister, Zane. She was extraordinarily calm as she pumped Mike's chest in harsh but steady beats. She frowned at the irresponsive form. "Come on, come on" she muttered under her breath. She tipped his head back, put her ear to his mouth, and then cursed.

"He's not breathing." she announced.

Harvey's blood ran cold.

He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't _do_ anything!

He could only watch in horror as Zane continued performing CPR.

He was holding onto Mike's hand with both of his own.

"Mike" he whispered hoarsely. "Mike, wake-up... Mike, please wake-up... Mike, baby, come on, please. It was just water. You're stronger... open your eyes... Mike, please... please... wake-up... let me see those baby blue eyes of yours again... come on..." he sobbed, clutching onto Mike's hand like a lifeline.

"MIKE!"

\---then the blond started coughing out water.

"Jesus, Mike" Harvey cried, dread draining away instantly, still holding onto Mike's hand.

Mike lazily looked up at Zane, then turned to Harvey, trying to give a reassuring smile. Zane moved away and let Harvey slide closer.

"Hi" he said weakly, throat irritated from the chlorine.

"Hi" Harvey answered, just as quietly, feeling that the moment was infinitely more intimate than before. "You almost gave me a heart attack." There was nothing accusing in his tone. Words were only a distraction to the emotions welling up in his chest. He ran a finger over Mike's face, tracing the lips that were slowly returning to normal colour. He had been so scared. He stared at Mike in the eyes. He thought he would never see those baby blues eyes open again.

Mike held on with his other hand, covering the hand which covered his face, and curled into Harvey's palm.

"Mike 5: Specter 1" he murmured against Harvey's skin.

Harvey laughed. It resonated form the deepest hallows of his chest up to the cave of his mouth.

"I can’t believe your still counting." he chortled and pressed their foreheads together. Mike made a noise and reached up with both arms. He linked his hands on the back of Harvey's neck.

They were both dripping wet. Harvey's hair had fallen over his face. Damn, that face was as gorgeous as when Mike first saw it.

Mike made a noise again and angled up. Harvey chuckled lightly then obliged him. He rearranged them so that Mike would fit in the cradle of his body---face on the side of his, arms around his neck, half-twisted body on his lap, and chest against his. He let his hands roam idly over Mike's back until the shivering died down. He faintly recognized a blanket being draped over them.

"Warm~" Mike mused while he held on. "You're so warm."

 Harvey just held on.

"Let's go back to our room and get you some warm clothes."

***

"What do you want for lunch?" Harvey asked a few hours later.

They had retired to their room after the pool incident. They leisurely washed each other in the showers because Mike was a little jumpy about the big roman-esque marble bathtub. Mike had arched into each and every one of his touches like a man starved for affection. Harvey was all too eager to give him all the attention that he wanted.

Mike lay on his stomach atop the plush red covers. It had been changed since this morning.

"You mean we're not eating the overly lavish food in the grotesque main dining room using heavy-ass plates that would break your wrist while holding it up?" came his cheeky reply.

In truth, Harvey wanted nothing more than to order in and stay in their room forever. But he knew Mike wouldn't like that. Mike and his adventurous nature could not be tamed by cooping it up inside four walls. So he sat on the edge of the bed, walking his fingers over Mike's spine and up to Mike's slightly damp hair.

"We could, if you wanted to. It's your weekend, Harvey." Mike rolled over so that Harvey's fingers were in the middle of his chest. He smiled up to the older man. Arms over his head, legs slightly spread, he arched his back to Harvey's touch, mewling when his nipples were played with. They were both still sore from Harvey sucking them in the showers.

Harvey ran his thumb over Mike's cheek and leaned in for a kiss.

"I want you to have fun with me." He declared when they parted, whispering it to Mike's lips with a smile.

"Okay" Mike nodded. "Well... since you asked so nicely..." he said, mirroring Harvey's earlier actions and walking his finger up the older man's bicep, to the side of Harvey's face, until he was touching Harvey's mole. "...I want to go make your other relatives more uncomfortable 'cause your fucking your hot and awesome felon boyfriend and they have sticks up their asses."

If Harvey was surprised by the word but he didn't mention it. But the word sparked something inside of Harvey and made his heart flutter inside his chest. He smiled idly at the suggestion.

"Boyfriends, huh?"

Mike's brain suddenly caught up with his mouth. "Yeah... I mean I---" he blushed fiercely when he replayed his earlier words and stumbled over the next. "I mean f--fake boyfriends. That's what I'm here for, right?"

Harvey frowned because no, not anymore. Somewhere along the way, he had forgotten it was all an act.

"Do you want it to be?" he questioned. "Fake, I mean."

Mike's eyes opened wide. Then, he looked down, feeling self-conscious about this---about everything: the weekend with Harvey, the family moments, the sex. Hearing it from Harvey, solidified the things he'd been feeling since they arrived in the manor.

"No" he answered honestly. "Not the fake part."

"Okay." Harvey agreed, nodding.

"Okay?" Mike repeated. "Just okay?"

"Just okay." Harvey confirmed with a smile so bright that it lit up the entire room. He kissed Mike on the lips one more time, bracketing the younger man with a hand beside each shoulder. It looked like a half-assed push-up attempt. Mike smiled back into the kiss and brought his hands to caress Harvey's biceps which were surprisingly toned.

"Let's make it real."

They ordered Chinese.

***

The thanksgiving celebrations were in full-swing by the time they re-emerged downstairs. They were dressed in formal clothes which Mike initially protested. Thank heavens for Harvey's insistence; otherwise, they both would have felt severely underdressed for the occasion. Everyone was dressed to the nines like it was some red-carpet event rather than an intimate dinner party.

"Why do I feel like TMZ will pop-up at any second?" Mike mumbled sarcastically as they made their way through the hallways. He was dressed in a two-toned midnight blue tuxedo with slim black lapels. It fit him like a glove, tapering at his waist and exposed just an inch of his crisp white shirt.

Harvey, dressed nearly the same in the classic black-and-white with wide lapels, chuckled from beside him. They strode hand in hand through the corridor.

"That's cause they probably will. I'm not sure if you've noticed that there are several familiar faces from TV and music."

Mike shook his head. "Not much of TV in prison." he joked. "Mostly baseball games and really bad reality TV..." he stopped mid-sentence.”Hold up" he tapped Harvey's chest with the back of his hand. "Is that Adrianne? From RHBH?!" he squealed like a kid, face contorted between horror and laughter.

"RHBH, really?" Harvey quipped, raising his eyebrow. "Damn. Someone should check those living conditions if they made you watch that crap."

Mike laughed. "Believe me. Any sort of pussy was welcomed when you're in a building filled with men. But fuck... she looks more like a cougar in person. I guess that's TV magic, huh?"

Harvey just pecked him on the cheek instead of replying. 

"We should move. If the wives are here, so are their daughters. And I do not want to be privy to that." He said, pulling Mike closer to his side. He was eyeing the partygoers and groaned. "Looks like Lily invited her entire posse _and_ their 'beautiful, eligible, conveniently single' daughters too." he air-quoted with his hands, making Mike giggled.

"Aww come on, Harvey. They can't be so bad."

Harvey rolled his eyes. "Believe me. They are."

"Looks like you were supposed to be this year's turkey, Harvey." Marcus greeted when they caught sight of him in the gardens. He too obviously noticed the demographics of young unmarried (or divorced) single women who were more or less suitable for Harvey. Of course, there were several young men as well. Pfshh. It's Hollywood. What's another gay, bi, or pansexual man?

"And here I thought that it was supposed to be a nice small family thing." Chris sighed as she joined them. She was wearing a red Saint Laurent column dress and Forevermark diamonds on her wrists. Ankle-high black boots peeked out from the high-slit on her right side.

"Are we really playing clingy-siblings?" Harvey grumbled giving them all an _oh-really_ look. They both laughed.

"Looks like." Chris pointed to Zane who was on approach. Like her sister, Zane was dressed for the night in a gold-threaded dress spun like feathers over her chest and flared at her waist. She was one of the few women who wore short dresses. Tall golden strappy sandals were on her feet.

"You boys looks amazing." She complimented. "And Chris! I was half-expecting you to be in a tuxedo."

"Hey!" Chris protested and stuck out her tongue. "Anyone from your studio here tonight?"

Zane sighed. "A few. Some of the studio execs are part of James' country club. They brought their wives! Jesus, there might even be a hidden cam-crew around. You know the Hollywood types."

"You betta warn us Brooklyn folk, yeah?" Linda cut in with an overdone Brooklyn accent. She was in a black dress that looked like it was made out of a hundred roses, with a corset-like satin sash around her waist and a slit in the middle that reached mid-thigh.

"Oh wow" Marcus gasped, eyeing his wife with unbridled lust. There was no ounce of shame when he did it. "Remind me to thank mom for hosting this thing." He purred, sliding an arm around her waist.

"Oh yes, lucky romantic married couple." Chris jeered and made an unhappy noise at the back of her throat. "You both are lucky to be taken and happily married..."

"... The rest of us are fair game." Zane finished. "Any bets on how many people she's hell bet on setting up any of us with?"

Harvey groaned even louder. "Christ, we _are_ playing clingy-sibling! Are we children?"

"Aww, don't be like that." Mike cooed into his ear, clearly amused. "Can't we all have a little fun?" He joined in the conversation like he'd known them for years, fitting in seamlessly in the friendly banter. "Well, judging from the mix of the crowd. I've got to place my bet on Harvey here." he declared, patting Harvey on the chest with an open palm.

"You can't bet on your own horse, Mike." Linda shot back playfully.

"You're just sore 'cause he called it first." Marcus barked. "I'm going with Chris. She's my favourite after all" he said proudly which earned him a punch to the shoulder from Zane. Chris was blushing slightly.

"How come no one is betting on me?" Zane complained with a pout. They all just laughed at her rhetoric. "Bitch please, ain't no boy fit for all this" she pointed to herself saucily, making them all laugh some more.

"No man can handle you, Zane." Harvey nodded in agreement.

"Damn right!"

"Speaking of which, isn't Dillan invited to the party too?" Mike asked out of the blue when he noticed the lack of tousled blond hair that was attached to one of the girl's hips.

"Oh didn't you know? Kids fifteen and below are in the theatre watching movies. I think it's the Star Wars Saga tonight 'cause they're hyping up Episode Seven." Marcus explained.

"Captain Kirk is still the man" Harvey mused.

"Hollywood... capitalism at its finest." Zane added.

"I say the bet's roast" Chris chided. "Marcus and Linda can't compete. And it's not fair to Mike if mom get free reign to auction-off Harvey along with the rest of us."

They rest of them agreed.

"New bet then" Linda offered. She lined herself perfectly against Marcus' side, looking every bit the Mafia wife to Marcus' sleek-black three-piece tuxedo.

"Honey..." Marcus' tone was warning, seemingly reading her mind without her speaking. She pouted.

"Aww come on, it's going to be fun." She smiled devilishly. "I promise."

"Last time you said that, I nearly swam with the fishes." he noted with amusement. He flicked a finger to her nose and blew a kiss. Her smile grew even bigger as if she'd already won.

"You spoil me~"

"Damn right, I do."

"What did I say about giving the confident independent single women of the family performance issues?" Chris griped, planting her hands on her hips. "Can we please agree on what to bet on? Because this party is becoming boring really fast."

Linda grinned like a cat. "Easy-peasy. Person who causes the most scandal wins!" She announced with a bright smile and a look that dared death to anyone who protested.

"Oh game on" Harvey challenged with his own sinister smirk. Because, it may be childish, but any sort of embarrassment for Lily was a-okay in his books. He still hasn't forgiven her for the way she's been A) trying to control Harvey's like in general and B) treating Mike like a piece of trash from the very beginning. "Sounds fair since everyone can play."

"Does that mean Harvey and I play as one or...?"

"That's up to you, Mike." Linda told him. "How about us, Marcus? We playing as one?"

Marcus visibly paled. "Oh no. We are not doing the thing again, Linda. I will not let these strangers get an eyeful of your... erhm, yes. Yes we are." he stuttered with a faint flush tainting his cheeks. It was funny and sorta cute the way a grown man blushed like a teenager.

"That settles it then." Zane declared with a gleeful clap of her hands. "Speaking of scandalous... here comes, mom. I say we still have bet one running even on peripheral." The others made agreeable sounds. "Okay then, let's see who she calls to the ring first."

"With all due respect" Linda said lowly. "I respect Lily but..."

"... Shouldn't she cover up just a tiny bit more...?" Mike asked quietly.

Lily was wearing a nude-toned dress which made her look like she was wearing nothing at all. Up close, it was ornate and bejewelled about three different types of clothes. She turned heads as she strode to her children. Hailey trailed behind her in a dress that would put Kim Kardashian or J.Lo or Rihanna to shame---white and intricately cut to display one leg, a slit to show the skin in the middle-side of her left breast, and cut-outs on the her right-side around the ribs.

"My beautiful children~" she exclaimed. "I'm glad that you're all getting along so well despite having different fathers. Aren't you thankful for having such good genes?"

None of them wanted to speak-up.

Chris elbowed Marcus, _hard_ , on the ribs.

"You look--oww--great, mom."

"This old this?" She asked in faux-humility. "One of James' sisters knows Donatella. It's straight from her collection. So is Hailey's dress. Show them, dear." she brought Hailey forward and had her spin once. The back of Hailey's dress also had a large daring cut-out which wrapped only around one shoulder. "I see you're all dressed properly for once." then she looked at Zane and frowned. "That is a party dress not a formal gown."

"It's a dinner party, mom." Zane answered with whine. "Not the Red Carpet."

She turned her nose up. "I expected better from you since you dress Hollywood stars for a living."

"I think it suits her just fine." Mike defended bravely, shocking everyone in their small circle even Harvey. "Long dresses are a bore. It'd be a waste of her style and personality. Not everyone in Hollywood goes for the long floor-length dresses except in a formal gala."

Lily's lips down-turned and she sneered. "What would filth like you know about fashion? It doesn't look like you even dress yourself. That suit has Harvey written all over it."

Harvey growled from beside Mike but a hand, gently curled into his, stopped him. He watched with curiosity as Mike's slowly smiled---cool and confident.

"You're right" Mike didn't argue. "Harvey did dress me but that's 'cause he likes seeing me in clothes that he's chosen. About fashion, I have to admit that I don't know much. Mostly 'cause it's not my thing. I'm more of a sports kinda guy." Then he gives her a pointed look when he was about to strike. "I _do_ know that your dress was in the Atelier Spring-Summer collection this year and so was Hailey's. I may be wrong but in Fashion isn't that a no-no?"

She opened her mouth to retort.

Oh, but Mike's not done.

"Zane's dress is gorgeous. It's a one-of-a-kind piece from an up-and-coming designer that's recently started dressing Stars in the red carpet. You should applaud her for knowing designers before they become larger than life like Versace. It means she's got a good eye."

Lily crossed her arms and glared daggers. "How dare you let him speak to me like this, Harvey?"

"Like what?" Harvey shrugged but couldn't hide his smirk. "All I hear is my wonderful boyfriend defending my equally wonderful sister from your snide comments. Zane is right. This isn't so much a dinner party as you peacocking your children and your money to all your big-roller Beverly Hills friends."

The older woman appeared as though she was ready to blow.

"Zane, Harvey, Mike" Chris called their attention. She stepped in front of them with Linda right behind her. Together, they created a barrier between the two opposing sides: Christ to Lily and Hailey while Linda to the rest.

"That's enough." Linda stated, raising a finger when the three were about to protest. "It's Thanksgiving. We should be having fun."

"Mom, you're being unnecessarily rude." Chris expressed with a placating tone. "Can you just like lay-off for the night? Please?"

Lily's face was contorted with a frown but she eventually nodded. "Come along then, Christine." She sighed. "There's a few gentlemen who have been asking after you all night. They're sons of our friends from the country club. One of them just came from an exchange program in London and you seem to have caught his eye."

Christ forced herself to smile. "Okay. Lead the way."

"Oh Jesus" Linda blurted out after the three ladies have gone. "I just stopped world war three from happening." She gave a _tsk-tsk-tsk_ face to her husband. "I swear, Marcus, these things are like a drama every single time. The only good thing was that Dillan wasn't here to see it this time."

"You know what?" Zane said darkly. "I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight." She tugged on her dress, revealing more leg and more chest, but not provocative, then tousled her hair.  "Get your cash ready because I'm am _so_ winning this thing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so what's one more chapter? I've got one day left to finish this. Suggestions? :))


	6. The Night of the Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone who lives in Beverly Hills. This is a massive exaggeration. I'm sorry!

Harvey and his siblings went on to play their game.

Marcus and Linda were off to the dance floor. It was nothing out of the ordinary, really, except for the fact that there was _no dance floor_ before they started dancing or any kind of dance music when they initially started. Marcus was blasting some really bad EDM music on his phone and they started bumping and grinding like there was no tomorrow---in the middle of the garden. If that wasn't enough, his hands were sprawled over his wife's exposed lower back, casually dipping under the fabric every so often.

Zane had gone off to perch of every single high-stoop surface as possible; crossing, uncrossing, and re-crossing her legs, one over the other and revealed the tattoo of her name on her upper thigh. She had boys flocking at her left and right, which she all strung like turkey decorations with her every move. Instead of her hands to talk, she animatedly was conversing with the help of her legs and feet. Her dress moved higher and higher up as the night progressed.

Chris was going around making sure that people were getting too drunk to function properly. She permanently carried a bottle of alcohol, any alcohol at all, and cajoled partygoers with drink refills even if they were obviously passed their threshold. She even openly flirted with some really old Hollywood guys just so she can fill their glasses to the brim. To most of the guests, she was blindly drunk and stumbling, but it was obvious to her siblings that every 'accidental' spill was intentional.  

Whether or not Hailey had been keyed-in, he really gave no shits about. It was not that he hated his youngest sister. On the contrary, out of his three younger half-sister, he knew virtually nothing about her. She was most like Lily, from her face to her attitude, and growing up in sunny Beverly Hills surrounded by rich white folk was a major influence on her life. He had a good two decades on her. In his eyes, she would always be Lily and James' spoiled little princess.

Hailey was by the garden-side bar with her arms wrapped around an unknown male. It wouldn't have been scandalous, save for the fact that the cut-out of her dress had become a very, very high slit on her upper thigh. Said thigh was wrapped around the said male with the heel of her stark-white heels digging into his ass-cleft. She looked like she was heel-fucking the poor guy in the ass.

When Harvey saw her kick Mike in the head this morning, his first thought was to get Mike out of danger but socking her in the jaw had been a close second. The intensity of his reaction was frightening even to him. He never, ever, hit a woman before. Not for anything else, but because his father had raised him that way. It was ingrained to him since childhood and he had lived his life following it without question---except this morning.

If anything had happened to Mike, he honestly did not know what he would have done to her.

Then Mike had woken up, dazed and confused, and cracked a joke. In a snap, one split second, without having time to blink, Harvey _knew_ that he gone for the kid---completely, utterly, and stupidly _gone_ for Mike. Mike who was a decade younger, a high school dropout, and a felon, yet somehow had managed to charm all but one of his siblings, and then some. Mike had him googly-eyes, sappy, and embarrassingly cheesy. But for some reason, he couldn't care less about any of it.

Mike was Mike.

Mike was, in a word, amazing.

"I'm telling you..." Mike was saying, mid-sentence, while they were at the poolside bar. It was far away enough to seem private without walking away from the party completely. They were leaning close, side to side, elbows bumping as they nursed their drinks. "...Civil War shouldn't happen. It doesn't make sense for it to happen. Not in MCU, no. It's a nightmare!"

"Why would it? The recent films have been a big box office hit." Harvey replied casually, hiding his grin with the rim of his glass. If he hadn't, then his geek would have been showing _hours_ ago. They've already finished debating the pros and cons of classic and reboot Star Trek films. They moved on to Marvel, specifically the in-the-making third Captain America film.

"For one thing, that would be a licensing nightmare!" Mie exclaimed while he mirrored his talk using his hands. "Do you really believe that not one, not two, but three studios would sign a three-way contract in order to make the film even a reality? Okay, Disney bought the rights to Marvel for a hefty four billion dollars, but what about the other characters that Marvel had sold off individually? Like Spiderman, Wolverine, the Fantastic Four, and Daredevil? They'll be sued for copyright infringement since the character-rights, at least for live action films, are property of Sony and Fox, respectively?"

Something blossomed in Harvey's heart.

"How can you possibly know all that?" Harvey inquired carefully. He was in awe and infatuated with the geeky brilliant side of Mike who seemed like an endless storage for information. "I mean, not to judge, but you really don't strike me as a comic book guys. Or maybe you are, but that kind of knowledge... it's unbelievable. How did you tie all those laws together?" Because _Intellectual Property Right_ had only recently been a hot topic even in the legal community and the kid was pulling it off like it was nothing.

Mike ducked his head shyly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Well, I like to read" he confessed. "I liked it for as long as I could remember... When I was in... you know... I read a lot." the corners of his lips lifted up slightly. "I worked in the library: piling away books that others read, clearing away the table, and sometimes I got to work the front desk. I would read a lot during my free time. Because, you know, there wasn't much to do there. It made things... bearable."

 "And the laws?"

He paused, took a sip of his champagne, and met Harvey's gaze with sullen eyes. "There was a guy in there with me. He was a writer, small time, nothing like Tolkien or Stephen King, but he was jailed for plagiarism" he scoffed "weird, right? Who gets jailed for that shit? I guess he had a crap lawyer.

"Why didn't he settle?"

"He couldn't. So the more than two grand that he earned from his book royalties? They went to child-support for his ex-wife who left him because he couldn't provide for them. All of it. 'Cause technically the money didn't come all in one go. It was in increments that accrued over time. He couldn't settle even if he wanted to because they were demanding nearly 2 million dollars." he scrunched up his face in disgust. "2 million! Christ that was like spare change on the company's financial statements but they went through with the suit anyway."

"Company's financial statements?"

"Yeah. There's the internet, duh." Mike waved the question off. "The important thing here is that you have an innocent guy trying to make an honest living from something that he's passionate about. Only to have people accuse him of copying another person's work!"

"But Mike, did he?"

"No!" He all but yelled. "It's the twenty first century Harvey! Nothing is original anymore. Everything is a rehash or a rehash. Same plots; different characters and settings and scenes but they all tell the same story over and over again. Charles Perrault's _Beauty and the Beast_ , C.S. Lewis' _Till we have faces_ , Stephanie Meyer's _Twilight_ ; they're both based from the story of Cupid and Psyche. There's Lisa Klein's _Ophelia_ and Shakespeare's _Hamlet_ , then David Wroblewski's _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_ which is Hamlet with dogs! West Side Story: Romeo and Juliet? Shall I go on?"

Harvey was so overwhelmed with joy that he just _needed_ to kiss Mike to shut him up. So he did, pressing their lips together in a soft chaste kiss. "I believe you." He murmured against Mike's grin. "So that did you do?"

"Well, that's it. Since I worked in the library, I had access to the entire collection. I read his book." he made a face. "Don't look at me like that, Harvey." He smoothed out the creases from his lover's face with a goofy expression.

"How was it?"

"Well..." he bit his lip and sighed. ”It wasn't bad but it wasn't original either. And by original, I mean the skeletal outline of the story was familiar if you knew what you were looking for."

"Oh?" Harvey couldn't stop his smile. He leaned in and wrapped Mike's arm around his waist, settling his head against Mike's. "What were you looking for?"

"Just about every kid-next-door who gets accidently drawn into a bizarre unknown world that was either A) existing but they had no idea existed, B) hidden from them for some reason, and C) they were secretly an integral part of the world in the first place. Think long lost prince or princess. That kind of thing." He answered casually. "It took us months of combing through the library!"

"Then what happened?" Harvey prodded, genuinely enjoying the tale.

"We talked to his lawyer and got him to agree to counter-sue. Another David vs. Goliath story. The media was all over it. Lawrence even did a couple of those TV interview while he was in the Penn. They filmed on sight in the open-grounds."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" His jaw would have dropped to the floor it wasn't for Mike's shoulder. "You're _the_ guy? The guy from the Lawrence vs. Phoenix case? That can't... that's not...Jesus, Mike..." Harvey didn't bother finishing his sentence. Instead, he all but slammed their drinks onto the table. Grabbing Mike by the shoulders, and kissing his lover within an inch of their lives. Mike let out a squeak in surprise but quickly got on with the program.

Teeth and tongue and lips clashed together.

They pawed at each other’s' clothes, desperate to _feel_. They lost sight of their surroundings and formed a tiny private bubble of themselves. Nothing else, no one else mattered. Their saliva, their scents, their breaths mingled until they felt like they a singular whole. Mike chewed on Harvey's bottom lip while the older man threw his head back and moaned.

"Fuck" he let out, pupils blown wide and lips kissed-swollen. He settled their foreheads together while he stared into those brilliant baby blue eyes which shone like starlight in the darkness. "You are fucking amazing." he kissed Mike on the centre of the forehead. "I mean it. The most amazing man I've ever met and dated."

Mike was about to reply, it was clear with the crooked goofy grin on his face, but stopped short. His eyes suddenly narrowed. "Lily at your six. Fast approaching. She's got back-up." He said with utter seriousness. He may have been skirting the issue the whole weekend but it was obvious that his first impression of the woman was not a nice one.

"Kiss me" Harvey demanded without breaking a beat.

"What?" the other stuttered.

"I said kiss me." He repeated. He moved in, both arms looping around Mike's neck, slotting their hips together. "Kiss me" he whispered with a wicked grin that Mike could feel on the side of his jaw. "Kiss me and moan so loud that they'll be too embarrassed to even approach us." He leaned in with a peck, then another, then another, not stopping until Mike nodded minutely. He pulled back slightly. "But don't you dare mess up my hair."

Mike would laugh if he has the time but Lily and her posse were merely a few meters away. He'd laughed later. For now, he would have to oblige his endearingly childish boyfriend with a kiss. He mewled into the kiss as Harvey, contrary to his own words, buried his long fingers into Mike's tousled hair and messed it up. Mike retaliated by sensually running his hands down Harvey's spine, to this lower back, then to his ass. He groped and kneaded it with abandon.

They tasted sweet French wine on each other's lips, smelled the vanilla scent of the incense around them, and their hot breaths on their cheeks in contrast to the cool Californian breeze. Mike might have started the kiss with light-feather touches but Harvey deepened it like he was intent on sucking Mike's soul through his mouth. He licked into Mike's mouth, tongue darting in deep and coaxing Mike's tongue to play inside the warm cavern.

A thrill jolted up Harvey's spine from where Mike touched him. Something about being out here in the open and _knowing_ they were putting on a show made his dick twitch inside his pants. He wanted them to see that this gorgeous man in front of him was _his_ and _his alone_. The kiss wasn't one between two strangers trying to fix their bubbling desires. No, the kiss was meant to say _he's all mine and I'm all his_. He wanted them all to know. He was openly staking his claim on Mike who responded beautifully like their first kiss in the Chilton.

There was shuffling and cursing coming from behind them. A gust of wind from where a skirt was haphazardly thrown back. But they didn't care. They kissed and kissed and kissed until they needed to stop for air. When they parted, they tried not to move apart, clinging to each other by their lapels, nose brushing with every inhale and breaths mingling at every exhale.

"Oh god, Harvey" Mike breathed out, voice wrecked and hoarse. "I really, really like your kisses,"

Harvey chuckled and pecked him on the cheek. "That's good" he declared, bring his arms around Mike's back. "Because I really, really like kissing you."

Mike grinned and walked his fingers up Harvey's arm until he cupped the other's face. "Then we might have an agreeable deal, Councillor." he said with a laugh. "Did I ever tell you that you have the _greatest_ ideas, Atty. Specter?"

"Christ" Harvey groaned, burying his face into Mike's neck, cold nose on Mike's arm neck. The younger man shivered, chest rumbling with small tremors while he chuckled. "I didn't know that was a kink. Fuck" he moaned and emphasized it by grinding his half-mast erection on Mike's thigh. "Shit." He whispered, worrying Mike's neck with soft kisses. "This might... take awhile."

Mike laughed and angled his chin to give Harvey better access. "I can be amenable to the changes in the stipulations. You're the one who knows what you're talking about, _Atty_. Specter."

***

With the protocol set for the rest of the evening, every time either one of them set sights or even a hint of Lily within their general vicinity, they would engage in very coarse displays of public. The woman couldn't come close enough with one of her friend's daughters in tow to introduce them to Harvey. Eventually, they needed to migrate to the main ballroom which house a ridiculously long table which stretched from one end to the other.

It was crazy! But Lily got her chance to play hostess with name places for all of the guests. It wasn't a surprise that she spread-out her children and surrounded them with potential suitors. Harvey was near the corner of one table, seated close to James, with Hailey three chairs down, across from him. Zane was on the other side, seated close to Lily, with Chris give chars down, across from her. Marcus, Linda, and Mike were seated at centre of the monstrosity, the couple on one side and Mike on the other.

"Why are you two seated together?" Mike questioned, half-serious but keeping a playful tone. He was still high on endorphins from getting to share kisses with Harvey the entire evening. Something as measly as sitting away from dinner wasn't much of a problem. If anything, it made him want the lawyer more. "While the rest of them got sent to different corners of the room?"

Linda giggled and eyed him from the rim of her glass, eyes twinkling. "Let's just say, that early on my marriage to Marcus, I made Lily an offer she couldn't refuse."

"The Godfather, really? How clichéd can you get, Linda?" He snorted with jest. She flipped him off and managed to look elegant while she did it. He chuckled over the appetizers which was some kind of flan with shallots and mushroom and vinaigrette. "What did you do... pull a Jack Woltz?" he asked, laughing and picking at the shallots.

"Don't play with your food!" She chastised lightly. She had a salad instead of flan. "I served her koi for dinner."

"Koi?"

"You know the things rich people keep in ponds? The smelly orange and white fish."

Mike nodded.

"Lily and James had a big one in their old house." she explained, learning closer and lowering her voice. "I took the biggest one they had and served fish and chips for dinner. She only found out when I served her deep fried head on a silver platter. You should have seen her. It was the tamest I've seen of her... ever. Not a peep the entire time!"

"What the...?" Mike suddenly felt like not eating the remainder of his flan. He visibly paled. "Jesus..."

Marcus laughed and beckoned the waiter to refill his water. "You know I love you, right?" he kissed her on the cheek affectionately. "But that really isn't something that people stomach easily." He said, glancing around people who shared in the misfortune of eavesdropping on the conversation. He counted them based on pushed-away plates.

"Oops" she covered her mouth innocently. "Sorry, Mike."

"It's... It's okay." he replied unsteadily. "Just give me a minute..."

They gave him fifteen. The second course came and Mike's gusto returned.

"Remind me never to piss you off." He mumbled shyly a few minutes later. Linda and Marcus just laughed at him.

"Damn right!" Linda exclaimed. All three of them laughed, exchanging friendly conversation for the rest of the meal.

"Say, Mike." Marcus casually opened, after seven courses, and finally on their desserts. "I meant what I said, you know, about this morning... Linda and I have already talked about it... I was thinking that, well... if you'd like to come work for us at _Santino_ ' _s_. We've been looking for someone who can handle the bar since we wanted to extend the operating hours of the main floor to cater to the night crowd. And we were sorta hoping that it would be you."

"What?" Mike dropped his spoon to the floor. His narrowed his eyes, blue eyes darkened, and lowered his head. He looked---dejected. That was not the reaction they'd been hoping for.

"Mike?" Linda prodded with a worried expression. "Mike..."

"No" he answered. "You two have been so nice and all..." his voice broke while he shook his head. "Really, thank you. Don't take this personally, though, okay? I'm sorry but I can't work for you. Not like this. I... You don't want a felon like me. I know you're doing it for Harvey. But please, I thought..." he shook his head, eyes downcast. "I... I need to go."

"Mike..." Linda reasoned softly, reaching for him. He jerked away like it burned him. He stood up, wood grated against wood, making the entire room turn to face him. "Mike!" She called but it was too late. Mike fled out of the ballroom and disappeared.

"Fuck." Marcus cursed lowly. "Shit, Lin. We might have fucked that one up. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

***

Harvey was stuck in a god-awful conversation with one of the Beverly Hills girls when it happened. At first there was a loud screeching noise, he looked up and saw that Mike was running out of ballroom door. His first instinct was to bolt but a hand on his wrist had stopped him.

"Don't mind him, darling." the woman cooed. He already forgot her name. "Let one of the butlers take care of it. I'm sure they'll catch the little thief."

"Excuse me?" he asked behind gritted teeth. "What did you just call him?" Because was this girl an airhead, blind, or crazy, not to know that he'd been tongue-fucking the same person the whole night before they even got to the ballroom. Mike was his boyfriend for Christ's sake! If the overt intimacy wasn't enough for these people to understand that, what would?

"Oh. Haven't you heard? There's a rumour around the table that he's some kind of crook. They heard him say so himself. He must have stolen something from the table and ran away." On cue, Marcus was seen rising from his seat and sprinting to follow Mike. "See? Must be that guy's things." Then Linda stands up and followed her husband. "Or possibly her things. What a hero!"

If she wasn't female, he could have already socked her in the face.

"Let go of my hand." he warned darkly. He had enough. He flicked away her hand harshly. "Get off me." he growled, louder, and stood up. Collective gasps echoed throughout the table. "That man happens to be my boyfriend and before you all say your snobbish little comments, let me tell you this.. Keep it to your _goddamn selves_ , or I swear by the name of my firm that I will hunt your asses down and sue you all for libel and... **_I'll win_**."

He pushed his chair back and shot an apologetic look to James.

"Harvey that's not fair!" Hailey protested loudly. "We're your family! You can't... you can't just throw us away for a piece of trash like him. He doesn't deserve you. He said so himself. He's a felon with a record. He's using you for his money."

Harvey slammed his fists on the table.

"ENOUGH!" He gripped the cloth so hard that his knuckles turned white. He was trembling with anger and it was about to tip over. "I've had enough of you and Lily saying all those spiteful things to him. Would you have changed your minds if he was on the Forbes' top five? Or if he was some Big Shot actor in Hollywood? Believe it or not, there's more to people than their titles and their pasts. Not everyone is as lucky as you to be born with a golden spoon shoved up your pretty little... “he paused, gritting his teeth because he was a better man.

"...I don't get to choose who my family is. But you know what? If I had to, I would choose it to be him." He shot James an apologetic look. "James, I'm sorry. I thought this was supposed to be a nice family get-together and not an extravagant dinner party. I did try. I wanted to try. But this isn't working. I'll grab out stuff and we'll leave first thing in the morning." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Turns out that this isn't the last chapter yet. I would have ended it here. But we're going to the hospital right now and I can't continue it.


	7. Revelations, revelations!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it. The final showdown.

Mike ran and ran and ran as far away from the party as his legs could take him.

He was cursed. He knew it.

HIs parents.

Grammy.

Trevor.

Jenny.

Tess.

All of them.

Everyone he cared about.

They all suffered because of him.

He was cursed.

Mike may have been acting nonchalant about the whole affair, flipping the snide remarks over his shoulder without a care, not bothering to listen about the things they said about him. Really, he tried. There was a high price to pay when he came out of prison. He tried, as much as he could, but his name would forever hold that record. His reputation would never be the same. He tried to change but it wasn't enough and he knew it. Deep down, he was still the pot-smoking kid that let his emotions lead to bas decisions. He needed to stop before he hurt someone else.

Harvey.

Linda.

Marcus.

Zane.

Chris.

Dillan.

It was out of place. But even just for a weekend, he had forgotten that it was supposed to be a lie and that they weren't really his family. It _felt_ like a real Thanksgiving for the first time in years. He was so thankful to have met Harvey despite the uncommon circumstance. It had been fun to live a dream, play out a fantasy, and pretend that it would lead to a happily-ever-after.

But this wasn't a rom-com. This was real life.

Men like Mike didn't end up with men like Harvey.

He had grown-up with a lot of bullies but he also learned, later on, that the greatest pain came from those closest to him. Dinner was like getting drench by a bucket of cold water. He didn't want their pity. He didn't want their charity. Fuck---

\---he wanted to be part of the family.

He needed to get out.

He would drag them all down.

***

Harvey caught up with Marcus and Linda at the staircase. They both look guilty and winded.

"What. Happened?" he asked as calmly as he could. He was wearing the guise of a Manhattan lawyer, his face placid and his demeanor was cold. They stopped at the plateau. "Here's what's going to happen, listen carefully. One of you is going to tell me exactly what happened in as few words as possible. Then we are going to split-up and find him."

The pair nodded.

"It's our fault, Harvey." Linda confessed with her face deathly white and teeth denting over her lower lip. "Something we said must have triggered him."

Harvey slowly nodded. "What were you talking about?"

"We asked him if he would come work for us when we go back to New York." Marcus explained. "Then he bolted. I'm sorry, bro. I really don't know what it was that we said."

"Why?" Harvey blinked very slowly as if his brain was trying to fit together the piece of the puzzle. But he was coming up with a blank.

"Because he satisfied my inner alcoholic" said Lily as she turned to her husband.

"And he made me the perfect cup of coffee." Marcus added. "You know how much I love coffee, right?"

"Because he's good, Harvey. Really good." She pressed. "With or without your fake-turned-real relationship, we would have still hired him. Hell, I would have stolen him from under your nose if only I didn't care that you were my brother-in-law."

Harvey cupped his face in his hands and let out a heavy sigh. "You stupidly sentimental idiots. Both of you! You can't just _do that_. What else would Mike think? He thinks that you're only doing it because he got into a relationship with me." He raised his hand at Marcus' open mouth.

"No, don't start. I know what you said. It's a clichéd rom-com and you guys just turned it into a drama. I'm going up to our room and fixing this. _You_ are going back to the party and doing damage control. He was a pot-head not a thief. I want all rumours of Mike being a thief squashed. They're mostly circling around you two. So do something..." he stared them both in the eye, one at a time. " _fix it_ "

They nodded.

Harvey ran up the rest of the way.

***

Mike found himself surrounded by uniformed men and women from the catering crew. He could hide in the van and get the staff to hide him. He could make-up a story. Anything. He'd do anything to get out. Then he'd pawn his clothes one by one just to buy a ticket back to New York. If it wasn't enough he could---

"So you're here." a voice broke through his reverie.

He turned around. "Lily, it's you."

"Of course it's me. You think it would be Harvey?" she asked venomously. She didn't even bother hiding her sneer or the blatant look of disgust on her face while she stared him down. "Not so tough now, are you? Without my son to back you up and all alone..." She drawled. "...you're nothing special. Just a punk kid who things that he can play in the major league. Tsk tsk tsk."

"What do you want, Lily?" Mike shot back. "You're getting what you want. I'm leaving."

She gave him a fake pout. "Don't be like that. I'm here to help you." She reached inside her clutch and pulled out a small envelop. She offered it to him.

He eyed it with suspicion. He may be young but he wasn't stupid. "What is it?"

"It's a check." She answered.

"I don't believe you. Open it." he pressed. He learned never to trust sealed packages nor touch them with his bare hands.

She did. "See?" Indeed, there was a check inside but it was blank. "I don't know how much Harvey paid you to go here and try to hurt my reputation so I'll be generous just this once and offer you a blank check. Think of it as compensation for your efforts this weekend. It was a marvelous performance."

"You never once bought into the ruse, did you?" Mike couldn't help but smirk---a knee-jerk reaction. "You never believed that Harvey would date anyone like me?" God, he sounded so bitter in his own ears even if he knew it wasn't true. Harvey _did_ want to date him. But he'd only bring the other man down.

"Of course I wouldn't." She boasted proudly. "I'm his mother. We might have drifted apart over the years but I _know_ him. It's still half my blood running in his veins. Apples don't fall too far from the tree."

"May be you're right." He agreed with a scoff.

"You seem like reasonable guy and by that I mean someone I can easily pay-off. How much are you Mike?"

"What if I say that you can't afford me?"

She laughed. "You aren't worth that much. I'd give you ten thousand dollars. No Harm, no foul, no questions asked. You leave this manor. You leave California and never come back. I never want to see you in my life again."

 "Fifty"

"Twenty-five. Not a penny more."

Twenty-five thousand dollars was a shit-load of money. If he budgeted correctly, he would could stretch it to a year. All he had to do was stay away from pot until he got back on his feet. He'd be able to pay for rent, have a decent meal once a day, and have just enough money to go hunting for a job. He hold Harvey where he worked. He needed to find a new once as soon as he got back to New York---which was pitiful because he was moronic enough to believe that Harvey would come find him.  

"And what would you tell Harvey?"

"The truth." she replied with a shrug. "That you took the money and fled like the monger you are. But don't bother, he won't ask about you. He'll take it in stride and turn it into a lesson."

"And if I don't want the money?"

She laughed cruelly. "You're an amateur escort. It's obviously your first time."

Half of his heart wanted him to refuse but his mind told him to take it.

This was his chance to get a clean break.

 "No." he shook his head.

"Excuse me?"

"Tell him that you doubled the contract price. Fifty or I don't walk away." He reaches for the envelope. "I'm not taking it because I need. Well, I do, but that's not why I'm taking it. I'm taking it 'cause I wanna leave a slight dent in your wallet that you'll remember. You'll remember that you put a price on everything else. You put a price on happiness. I'm taking that fifty grand because that's what you think Harvey's heart is worth. I want you to remember that five and four zeroes. And tell him thanks, it was a good weekend."

"Why don't you tell me yourself, Mike?"

He froze.

Harvey appeared from behind the van. He had lost his jacket, his necktie undone, and sleeves rolled haphazardly to his forearms. He looked like he had run a marathon with his hair plastered in sweat. His cheeks were faintly red and he was breathing unevenly.

"Harvey, perfect timing. I don't have to waste my time repeating everything he said." Lily said with an eye roll. "Can you believe his nerve bargaining with me? No class at all!"

Harvey just gave her the stink-eye.

"Harvey, what are you doing here? What happened? Why do you look like that?"

Harvey rolled his eyes. "For starters, my date ran out of dinner and wasn't in our room. I spent the last half an hour looking for him all over the house."

"Wh--what? Why?" Mike eyes widened in surprise. "Why would you do that?" His hand dropped to his side.

"Harvey? Did you hear what he said? He's a money-seeking monger. He doesn't care about you!"

Harvey ran a hand over his hair, uncharacteristically. Perhaps it was the only tell of how badly this fiasco had shook him up because he was fighting hard to stop from shaking. "I heard him loud and clear, Lily."

"Then why are you here?" She questioned. "Aren't you doing to kick him out?" She gave him a _go on with it_ gesture. "The night is still young, Harvey. I'm sure some of the ladies interested are still in attendance. I _did_ spend most of the evening placating them because of your lewd displays with this whore." 

"You" he pointed towards Mike "listen carefully and you" he turned to Lily with his hands fisting in anger. "I don't want to hear another word from you in the next fifteen minutes because, out of respect for what dad taught me, I'm trying by best not to hit you."

"Harvey! I---"

His directed his finger towards her, warningly, shaking with effort to keep still.

"Mike" he spoke directly to his lover in a much softer tone and carefully approached. The world melting behind them.

"Fuck off, Harvey." Mike spit out. "This was all a mistake. All of it. The Ad, the deal, this weekend. I... I shouldn't have come. Go back. Your mom and your sister were right. You deserve better than me. I've been thinking about it all weekend." a bitter laugh passed through his lips "And I wanted, so badly, to believe that it could be true. Go back, Harvey. I'll ... just go" his voice broke. "Please. Go."

"Mike..."

"Go, Harvey, please."

"He's right, Harvey." She added with a jeer. "You deserve better than a guy like him."

Mike chortled lowly. "What? You mean a guy like me who's---"

"---an ex-convict? A felon? A thief?" she said sharp like a dagger aimed straight for Mike's heart. "You're nothing but _scum_."

"Mike" Harvey reached for him tenderly but Mike poised his hand in the air, ready to strike. He stopped at the last minute, barely an inch away from Harvey's face, and all the colour in his face drained. He pulled back his hand like it burned. The fire starting from deep within him. He closed it into a fist and drew it to his chest. "This is who I am, Harvey. I..." he looked away in shame. "I'm only going to pull you down."

"You won't." Harvey told him confidently, daring enough to encircle his wrist with long fingers and lowering it. "You won't pull me down. I won't let you."

"Why?" Mike all but cried, feeling the tears sting on the back of his eyes, and his chest constricting like someone was threatening to pull out his heart. "Why are you doing this? Why would you go through all this trouble for someone like me? I would have _taken_ the money and left you."

"I know. I heard." Harvey nodded, moving closer until their bodies aligned. "I also heard why you would do it and even as your final act, you decide that you'll stick one last shot at Lily. You would have taken it to make a point. You could have taken it and left without saying another word but even before you left you tried to defend me in front of her. I don't believe for a second that any of that was meant to hurt me."

"Harvey, I..." Mike shut his mouth when their eyes met. Something blazed in Harvey's normally warm brown eyes. They weren't warm now. They were blazing like molten lava. "I'm so sorry." He said, finally, finally allowing himself to clutch onto Harvey like a life line, like Harvey was the only thing that matter, like everything else was inconsequential.

"Harvey Reginald Specter!" Lily screeched as she lunched for Mike. She grabbed a fistful of Mike's tuxedo jacket and pulled with all her might. The pair broke free because of the unexpected movement. They'd been foolish enough to forget about her and let their guard down.

Mike spun around, disoriented.

SLAP!

There was a sting then pain which bloomed from the side of his face. She had slapped him with the bejeweled bracelet snagging on his cheek. A cut formed, reddening before a thin line of blood appeared.

"I've had enough of you, you insolent brat!" She screamed furiously. She struck him again, harder, with the back of her hand. This time her ring snagged on his lip. "You expect me to sit here while you come in here and destroy my party? I've watched you prostitute yourself in front of my guests and in my house long enough. I even offered you money to get out. But you didn't take it. I want you out! I'm calling the police! I'm getting your skinny white ass back to prison where it belongs!"

She raised her hand to strike a third time. "I'm going to---" but it was stopped.

"No" Harvey said firmly, with a grip tightening on her wrist, nearly-crushing bone.

She yelped in pain. "Harvey, you're hurting me! This is assault!"

But he merely squeezed tighter. "On the contrary, this is self defense. You _assaulted_ by lover."

"He's a felon!"

"I don't care."

"He's a liar!"

"He is not."

"He's a whore!"

"That's you!" he growled. "That's you, Lily, and don't you think for a second that you can weasel your way out from the truth. You might live in a fancy Beverly Hills Mansion now but you're nothing but a social climbing war. It started with Dad, then Mr. Banks, then Richard, and George, and that's _before_ you married your second husband. You _fucked_ your way up the social ladder because that's what's important to you, isn't it?" He scowled. "A groupie then. A groupie now. You never changed."

Her nostrils flared. "How. Dare. You?"

"Oh, I dare." He met her challenge with a smirk. "Do my sisters even know that they have different fathers?" He sneered, bringing her face close to his in a rare display of dominance. He held her arms above his head which forced her to balance on the balls of her feel.

"No..." Her eyes grew wide in terror. "How did you...?"

"You don't get to where I am without swimming with the sharks." Harvey's smiled liked the devil himself. "I assume they don't know because you didn't tell them. Did Nick know? Did he even suspect? Is that why you got divorced in the first place? How old were the girls, then, do you remember? No?" He said in disdain. "Let me remind you. Zane was six and Chris was two. You broke up our family _again_ because you couldn't keep your legs closed enough to bear Nick two children!"

"That's a lie!"

"It's not." he bit back. "I always suspected. I was seventeen not seven when it happened! But I couldn't prove it then. I had you investigated when I had the money to do it. For a long time, I didn't say a word because I love my sisters. I've known for five years. I kept it all this time because Chris wouldn't be able to decide for herself yet 'cause she was a minor. But now I don't have to hide it."

She slapped him on the face with her other hand. Mike was there to restrain her just in time.

"You... you... you bastard!" She spit in his face. There was a collective gasp from behind her.

"Mom?" Chris' shaky voice sliced through the silence. "Is that... is that true?"

Lily whipped around to see her daughter's tearful face. Chris was as pale as a ghost, with Zane, Marcus and Linda by her side for support. She was visibly trembling.

"Christine..." Lily whispered in distraught.

"Harvey, is it true?" She demanded from her older brother. "I'm the reason that..."

"No, Chris!" Zane asserted. "It wasn't you Chris. It wasn't your fault."

"Chris, I'm sorry." Harvey lowered his head with shame. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. I... I needed you to be able to decide on your own without being an emancipated minor. Legally, Lily had the power to decide your future and I didn't want to risk it."

"So it's true." She gasped in disbelief. "Oh my god" she bemoaned, falling to her knees.

"You're a liar!" Hailey shrieked, emerging from the crowd. "You're a liar and a fraud! You can't speak to mom like that! Stop spreading lies, Harvey! It's not true! You just wanted to ruin Thanksgiving that's why you came with that...that... that filth! He sexually assaulted me in the pool! He's a sex maniac and a pervert! He should be arrested as a pedophile! He's a good for no---"

SLAP!

Hailey froze. Her head whipped to the side with incredible force. She fell to the floor. Linda towered over her with eyes sharp like daggers. "You broke my heart, Hailey, that's enough. I may respect you as a sister-in-law but by allegiance is to my husband, first and foremost. Don't think for a second that you sharing a _mother_ will make any difference. I will not hesitate to protect my _family_ and that is Harvey and the man who unfroze his heart."

She was smart enough to stay down.

Harvey was shocked at Linda's display of protectiveness. He loosened his grip enough for Lily to get away. She made a beeline for her middle daughter. Mike wrapped his arms from behind Harvey, crossing over his lover's torso. A crowd had gathered around them. Gossip vultures who wanted a good story to post on social media.

"Christine, let me explain." She cooed but the skin-tight dress hindered her from kneeling. "Christine, listen to your mommy."

Christ filched away from her touch. "Don't... mom, Lily, just don't."

"Chris..."

"Mom" Marcus stopped her with a hand on his shoulder. "I think, we all better go." he suggested with blank face.

"But..." she protested weakly. “I’m your mother."

"Y--yeah" he said uneasily. "I speak for all of us when I say that we regret that right now. Just go before you make an even bigger fool of yourself. We can either leave tonight or in the morning but none of us, my sisters, and Harvey, and I, are no longer in the mood to party." his voice was tight and restrained. It was obvious that he was holding back on lashing at her too.

"You!" she pointed furiously at Harvey and Mike's direction. Around her, the crowd had formed into a circle surrounding her and her children. They were whispering and gossiping and buzzing with scandalous chatter. She stopped in the middle of her advance, just registering the large group, realization dawned on her. She screamed.

"This is all your fault!" She saw a knife laying innocently on the work table. The crew was disappeared when the commotion started. She grabbed it and ran towards the people responsible to everything. It was their fault! Her reputation was going to be ruined! She'd be the laughing stock of Beverly Hills! "I'm never going to forgive you!"

She slashed blindly grazing Harvey at the back of his raised forearm. The crowd gasped collectively.

"Lily, stop!" Harvey yelled with his siblings echoing in a triad.

"Mom!"

"Stop it!"

"You're making a mistake!"

But she was deaf to all their pleas. She gripped the hilt of the knife with both hands, ready to strike again, then suddenly lunged forward. Her nose hit Mike's shoulder as she plunged the knife. Mike grunted. She grinned at the victory but she celebrated too soon. In an instant, the knife was removed from her hands and a white-hot pain jolted from her wrists. She felt like she was falling.

Zane sprinted to Harvey in the background.

Mike took Lily under his arm in a classic choke-hold manoeuvre, using her momentum to his advantage, then drove her in the opposite direction. He led her away from Harvey and away from anyone else and let go. The knife dropped to the floor as she stumbled. Her own weight and inertia propelled her straight into the tray of dessert cupcake. She scrambled for purchase but they were no match for her.

Harvey rushed to his boyfriend and held him close. His linen-wrapped arm was stained with red. He ushered them away from the scene.

Cupcakes shot up into the air and it rained with turkey decorated desserts. It dispersed the tension in the air nearly comically---Lily lay on the ground, sprawled on the grass with a ripped dress, and the tray over her head. Hailey was on the ground with her white dress covered in brown frosting. Some of the guest caught cupcakes in their hands. Even Marcus wasn't spared from a cupcake on the cheek (which Linda happily licked off him).

"We should go see a doctor about that." He pointed out, blushing from his wife's open display of affection after threatening his half-sister. His dick may or may not have twitched a few times because he had a _thing_ for strong hot mafia women--or maybe it was just Linda.

Harvey barked a laugh. "You should see your wife about that" he said pointing to Marcus' tented pants. He turned to his shaken youngest sister (because Hailey no longer counted) with a concerned expression. "Chris? Are you going to be alright?"

She shook her head. "C--can we not stay the night?"

He gave her a small smile. "Yeah. We can do that. Any place you want to stay?"

"We could stay in my place. " Zane offered. "It'll be a tight fit but I think we can make it work."

The siblings all nodded in agreement.

"Let's pick-up our things" Harvey suggested, wincing as he moved his injured hand. "Meet up in the driveway in thirty minutes?"

"I'll have to pry Dillan away from the theatre." Linda mused. "Can we make it forty? So you can have someone bandage that cut?"

Harvey gave her a look. "We're not staying here any longer so you two can fuck." She pouted at him and stuck out her tongue.

"I can do it." Mike said with a grimace and shrugged.

"Do you need a ride?" Marcus asked the girls.

Zane shook her head. "It's all right. I brought a car. Do you have a rental?"

"Yep. Chris?"

She shot her sister, erhm, half-sister a look.

Zane's expression soften. "You're riding with me, Chris. I'm still your big sister."

Chris smiled weakly.

They parted in the corridor to their separate rooms to pack.  

***

A sleek black Bentley Continental GT, a two-tone black and white Corvette Stingray Convertible, and a white 1978 Porche 911SC Cabriolet Conversion were parked in the driveway when Harvey and Mike exited through the main door. Mike's eyes grew outrageously wide when he saw the sibling's car version of _my ___ is better than yours_ game. It was hilarious.

"Seriously?" he joked, elbowing Harvey lightly on the arm, while carrying both their bags. "What's with you guys and cars? I don't understand."

Harvey whistled at Bentley. "I almost didn't believe that the food business could be lucrative." He jested and patted the hood as Mike loaded their things in the trunk of the Corvette. "I thought you guys had a rental?"

"This is a rental" Linda replied, beaming. She wore Marcus' tuxedo jacket over her shoulders. Dillan was tucked safely into the passenger's seat, already fast asleep. It was nearly ten in the evening after all. "I've got cousins in Los Angeles running the casinos."

The older Specter laughed. "Of course you did." he said chuckling. "How do I keep forgetting that you're very well connected, princess?"

"Can you get your ass in the car? Then we can appreciate Zane's restored Cabriolet." Marcus whined, revving up the engine for emphasis. "And the tyke needs to settle in for the night. I think he's gone into a movie-coma."

"Fine" Harvey resigned. "Here" he said, passing Mike the keys. "You know how to drive, right?"

"No shit! Really? You're gonna let me drive?" Mike gasped ecstatically. "Best boyfriend ever! Give me a kiss!"

"Come on, love birds." Zane honked, driving past them. "I'm not waiting for any of you if you get left behind."

"Sweet!" Mike fist bumped the air as they both slid into their seats.

All three cars zoomed out of the estate with their engines echoing through the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Please so leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed the work~ :)


	8. Closure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really an epilogue but a preview to the next story. :D

Zane's place was---not small, at least by Mike's standards. It has an open-space layout which opened into the dining room, the kitchen-slash-dining area on the right side, and cabinet-stairs which led to a loft. There was a small door which led into an entirely different room.

"Where's that lead to?" Mike asked curiously, peering at the closed door. All of them were crammed in the small entryway of Zane's apartment while the woman tried to tidy-up. It looked slightly better than a college room dorm that was abandoned for the holidays. He smiled internally because of what it entailed---she had been so ready to accept them into her space with little, or rather no, preparation.

Zane nearly bounced out of her shoes in excitement from the middle of her living room. "That's my studio!" she said proudly. She had an armful of clothes and shucked them all into the workroom. "Sorry about the mess. I recently started working on a Spring Collection for next year. RTW, nothing fancy, but it's a start." She finished looking somewhat shy at the announcement.

"That's amazing Zane!" the praises went around the room. She smile brightly at them all.

"Well, we could split up into groups, boys can take the downstairs loft while we huddle on the loft, or pull the mattress down to the living room like some kind of non-sexual, platonic, slumber party on the floor." She shrugged. "Your pick. I'm fine either way. Didn't really set this place up with entertaining guests in mind."

"Thank you, Sis." Harvey said with a hand on her shoulder. "We're more than grateful for the offer."

Zane smiled cheekily. "If I hadn't than you would have all ended up holed up in hotels, right?" For that, all the New Yorkers laughed and nodded.

Chris moved to the front of the party and decided for the whole "Let's do a slumber party" she said with a grin.  "Just like the old days..." _when we were still a family_ goes unsaid. The siblings share glances before they all agreed.

So, slumber party they did. Mike and Marcus brought down the mattress from the loft. Zane and Chris collapsed the couch legs and converted it into an odd-shaped mattress. Linda took Harvey into the kitchen, after trash-taking Mike's pitiful excuse for bandaging, to rework his bandages. Dillan settled down into the corner on an inflatable, using the couch cushions as a pillow. He was down for the count.

"This is absurd" Harvey noted when he came back into the living room to see the mess that they created. The floor was covered with Zane's queen-sized mattress, the foldable sofa-bed, and an inflatable camping mattress. It would have been ridiculous if it wasn't so... domestic. "We are grown-ass men and women, yet we're sleeping on the floor of our sister's apartment like savages."

The group laughed at his antics but no one bothered to correct him. It was nice--homey, in a way that they've all long forgotten since their parent’s subsequent break-ups. It had been far too long since they all been together like this. It really felt like family. They would have traded the lavish _Le Bulverde_ for this any day, on any occasion. 

"The floor too hard for your back, old man?" Mike teased, following behind him, while juggling three mugs of coffee. They all had changed into their night-clothes some time ago. He was wearing a white undershirt, one size too big, and loose drawstring pants. Harvey wore a faded Harvard pull-over and pyjamas.

"No" he grumbled like a petulant child before he settled on the mattress with crossed legs. "Come here" he demanded, patting the space in front of him. "and make it bearable." At that moment, he forgot that he was some big shot Manhattan lawyer, and settled on being just-Harvey. His heart fluttered at Mike's warm smile when he received a kiss on the forehead.

"Patience, love" Mike told him. He walked past his boyfriend and handed lowered the mugs onto the open space on the floor. "My lady" he offered one to Chris who was huddled in cosy red polka-dotted drawstring pyjamas and a large loose black-and-white striped sweater with a black floral headband on her hair. Her eyes grew wide at the selection.

Marcus trailed behind him, also with three mugs in-hand, and did the same. "All right" he announced with a bit of excitement. "Mike made the drinks. The wifey and Zane are in the back whipping up some desserts despite the pathetic state of our sister's pantry--"

"Hey! I heard that!" Zane's voice echoed from the kitchen.

Marcus merely chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully. His next words were deliberately loud. "Seriously though. It's like she doesn't even cook! It's an embarrassment to our entire family." He stopped and waited for her retort but it doesn't come. He smiled and took a seat beside his slumbering child. He saw Chris eyeing the drinks from the corner of his eyes. "Go on, Chris, take your pick."

"Do you cook as well as you make drinks?" Chris inquired, eyeing the frothy concoction with obvious interest. She looked from Mike then to Harvey then back to Mike. "I'd date you if you weren't so taken with my brother." She said, making Mike blush. "Aww come on, you were tongue-fucking in the garden and a couple of compliments makes you blush like a tomato!"

"Chris!" Zane chastised automatically as they emerge from the kitchen. "You're embarrassing him!" They both have large bowls in their hands. In response, the younger female stuck out her tongue. "Chris, you're such a child!" she said, laughing.

"Then you're an old maid" her sister shot back defensively. She grabbed the drink with the tallest whip and buried her face in the foamy white goodness with a sigh.

"Ahhh! There's the Chris that we know and love" Linda cooed, beaming. She slid beside her husband on the inflatable with their son and earned a thankful look from their youngest sister. Chris would always be their sister despite what her genetics say. Not Lily, or Nick, or anyone else could change that. She's grown to love Harvey, Zane, Chris, and Mike like her own siblings. "It's good to have you back"

Marcus wrapped an arm around his wife. It was so rare for her to be serious. He knew and understood what she meant under her words. "Linda is right, Chris." He added and faced her directly. "Doesn't matter who your father is. You're still the Chris that we all grew up with."

"You're our sister" Zane added, taking the space beside Chris and patting her on the head. "I mean, hey, we got along with our older brother all right, yeah?" Chris sniffled and nodded, tears brimming her eyes, and they let her cry. It was a revelation to all of them--save one. Harvey watched the scene quietly, in guilt, and it took Mike less than a minute to sense it.

"It's not your fault, you know." Mike whispered in his ear under the guise of flirting. He placed his head on the crook of Harvey's shoulder and collar and sat with his legs astride Harvey's laugh. The habit of being overly touchy-feely still had not worn off completely. "I'm not saying that it was right. You could have told someone, your brother at least... he seems reasonable. You did what you had to do."

Harvey rested his cheek against Mike's head and took comfort in the younger man's warmth. He sighed heavily. "I should have told someone. I just..." he sighed again and observed his siblings' interactions. "I didn't want anything to change, not when she was too young to fend for herself... I couldn't take away her future. It didn't seem fair."

"It was unfair that you to keep the burden all to yourself." Mike pushed. He twisted his torso so that he could face Harvey's eyes, one hand on Harvey's jaw. "They're your family, Harvey." He looked down and drew courage from the depths of his stomach. "For what it's worth, I think they'll have your back. I can see how much you care for them and I have a gut feeling that it goes both ways."

It was true. He hasn't felt like this in years. Dare he say it, he missed spending time with his family.

"You're a sap" Harvey declared in jest.

"I'm your sap." Mike replied, grinning.

"Okay. Okay, lovebirds, break it up." Chris said, intruding, but it was better than her brawling her eyes out. She had red-rimmed eyes and a weak smile on her face. "Confident independent single women of the family, remember?" she cracked her on-going joke and made them all chortle. To Harvey specifically, she said "It's okay, big brother, it's not you who needs my forgiveness. Hell, it might even be my way out of California."

"Well if you two weren't so picky, then I'm sure you'll remedy that before Christmas!" Linda squealed.

"Chris with a boyfriend?" Zane gibed. "That'll be the day the world freezes over!"

"And what about you Ms. _I'm gonna rule Hollywood_?" Chris shot back, playing along. "You know that surfer boys are in short supply these days. Maybe during the summer when the weather is better. Winter has sent all the hot boys into hiding." She lamented. "I think there's more important things than getting a love life. Look at Harvey!"

"Excuse me?" Harvey's eyes grew wide at her insinuation. "What exactly are you saying, Chris?"

"Oh no" their youngest faked remorse. "He's gone all lawyer on us! Mike, reign in your boyfriend why don't you?" 

Mike let out a hearty laugh and gave her a salute. "You heard the woman, babe, eyes on me."

"Sly" Harvey said, shaking his head at his sister. "Very sly, Chris."

"Of course I am" she answered proudly. "I learned from the best!"

"... and you" he turned to Mike, gripping his lover by the thighs. "You are utterly scandalous!" He said before diving in, tongue first into boyfriend's mouth. Mike squeaked at first but it was soon transformed into a moan as Harvey made sweet, sweet love with their mouths alone. His brain was getting melted into putty. He clutched onto Harvey's shoulder half for show but it's really because he needed an anchor for fear that he might float away.

"Guys! Really!" Marcus exclaimed in annoyance. It's followed shortly by an "ouch!" and a hiss. They open their eyes to see Marcus tenderly rubbing his side while the girls are positively beaming in their direction. It was Linda who spoke first.

"No, no, do go on. The three of us were enjoying the show."

True enough, Chris and Zane were snickering beside her with their phones out.

Harvey growled. "No posting on social media." He demanded with his grip tightening around Mike. "Or I will sue you all for invasion of privacy and worse..." he stopped for dramatic effect. "I'm going to un-friend, un-follow, and block you all!"

The three gasped in horror.

"You wouldn't..." said Zane.

"Harvey, don't!" cried Chris.

"Aww, hush, Harvey" Linda complained. "This isn't the biggest scandal we've had tonight. Let the girls have their fun."

"Not at my expense." Harvey argued. "You can have it at Lily's though. Is she trending on Twitter yet?"

"I don't know" Zane mused, less inclined to protect their mother than she normally was. She too had been hurt by the truth revealed tonight. She tapped her phone and accessed her twitter. "What do you think it'll be hash tagged with?"

"Whore" Harvey answered without preamble.

"Thanksgiving disasters" Marcus suggested.

"Liar go to hell" Chris spat.

"Hollywood break-up" Linda offered without remorse.

Mike was the last to speak. "Le Bulverde Events?" they all turned to him with skeptical looks. He chuckled uneasily. "Hehe. Well, it'll be on their events page website, right? Of the house that Lily rented...?"

"Mike that's genius!" Zane yipped. She typed on her phone to search their key words. "OMG! I found it! She's trending as _worst-thanksgiving-ever_! I almost feel sorry. Someone tweeted a picture of... eww! Mom's mooning the entire population of Beverly Hills on twitter! Look!" She turned her phone towards them to show Lily's wrinkling old white ass framed by a large rip in her dress. "I don't think Donatella's going to get her dress back."

"Zane, you little witch!" Marcus said but his words had no bite. He was also laughing at the picture. "Off the record, I'm not even mad that she got what she deserved."

"It's been a long time coming" Harvey agreed.

"Does that mean that we won't have to spend Christmas at the BH estate anymore?" Chris addressed the question to her sister. She lowered her eyes and bit her lip. "I kind of don't wanna go back there for Christmas holidays... I..."

"Aww, baby girl, no" Zane stopped her laughing to comfort her baby sister. "You can spend it here with me. We'll do out sisterly thing together... we can go clubbing or hit the bars or..."

 Marcus shot his wife a look and Linda wordlessly nodded.

"Or you both can spend the holidays with us." Linda offered with a smile. "That's if you want to meet _my_ family now."

They both flush.

"No, Linda, that's really..." Chris stammered.

Zane shook her head. "We don't want to impose."

Linda dismissed their protests with a wave. "Nonsense! You're my family too, always have been since I married this lug" she pointed to Marcus who merely rolled his eyes. Then she turned to the other NYC couple. "You two are invited too. You know us, Italians, the more the merrier! We love big family gatherings! You've all adopted me like your own sister so I don't see why not. Papa would love to meet Marcus' brother and sisters."

"You just want to introduce them to your cousins!" Harvey teased.

She pouted. "Well... there is this one guy..." and she saw her sisters pale then laughed. “No I won't do what Lily does, I promise. I won't even say you’re single!" But they still weren't convinced.

Mike tugged on Harvey's sleeve and jerked his head. "Will it be too out of character for you to offer?"

"That depends" Harvey mused lowly. "Does that mean you'll be spending Christmas with me? That's a little less than a month away."

Mike grinned. "Clinging to me already, _Atty._ Specter?"

"You aren't a burden to be around." Harvey said then shrugged. "I don't think you'll have any more casual encounters over the next holiday. I want you with me, on my bed, come Christmas morning. Four days with you and I don't think I can sleep without you hogging all the covers."

Mike laughed. "Then make your offer, council, and we'll see what the jury decides." He kissed his boyfriend one more time before he let Harvey do the talking.

"Come spend the holidays in New York" Harvey butted in surprising all of them. "You can stay in my condo if you don't mind rooming together and share the guest bedroom. We can spend Christmas with Linda's family if everyone is amendable. That way, the Christmas traditions don't get altered too much. You both get to spend the holiday in the snowy Big Apple and we get to meet the in-laws. What do you say?"

"But Harvey, your firm." Zane was the first one to react.

He shrugged in reply. "Being a name partner has its perks. I can get time off."

"Don't you want to spend it with Mike?" Chris said in wonder.

For that, Mike merely grinned. "It's nice to be surrounded by family. I'd be great if you can join us." He said, already agreeing to the fact that they _might_ be hosting Christmas together at Harvey's place. Strangely enough, the idea excited him more than it scared him. He hasn't had a real family Christmas in _years_ , and this, this feels like a wonderful new family.

"I'll agree only if you all promise to come over on Christmas day." Linda counter-offered like the ever-persistent haggler that she was. "It's either that or Christmas Eve. Your choice."

"Which one means less match-making?" Zane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Christmas Eve but that also means a whole lot more eggnog." Linda answered triumphantly. "You might as well stay the night."

"Just go on Christmas day" Marcus insisted. "Trust me when I say that you wouldn't like her drunk cousins. Although alcohol makes them more agreeable." He said laughing. "Come one, Lin, you know that Vince can be a little too flirty when he's tipsy."

Linda sighed but nodded. "Yeah... the more sunlight, the better, I suppose." She turned to them with a hopeful expression. "So Christmas?"

Eventually the girls nodded.

Harvey and Mike agreed as well.

"That settles it then" She said with a yawn.

"What time is your flight tomorrow?" Chris asked, looking a bit worried. "We should go to bed?"

"We're here for a few more days. Cousins in LA to visit." Linda replied. "You'll meet them on Christmas" she added with wink. They pale and she laughed. Soon, all of them were tucked-in and ready for bed--Zane and Christ share the bed, Marcus and his family get the inflatable, and Harvey and Mike are left with the unfolded sofa bed.

It was a bit of a squeeze. Mike effortlessly fits his body along the line of Harvey's with practiced ease even if there was barely any sort of practice to speak off. Still, he was used to squeezing into tight spaces and this was a well-welcomed lack of space. He fit his head on the crook of Harvey's collar, arms around his lover's waist, and their legs tangled together.

"You know what?" he mused, playing with the laces of Harvey's pullover. "I'm pretty excited around Christmas."

Harvey hummed and slid his hand down Mike's back, resting it protectively over the top of Mike's ass. "Me too, Mike" he answered with a kiss on top of Mike's head. "Me too."

In the morning, they would have a nice long talk about where their relationship was headed. They'll talk about what transpired over the weekend and their plan from here onwards. They'll laugh and jest and remember this weekend with fine appreciation. But, as it was, that was all for the morning. Tonight they settled for being in each other's arm and being truly thankful for the first time in years---a casual encounter that would hopefully remain for the rest of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hohoho~ *winks*
> 
> Thank you again for everyone who supported this story! I hope you all have great holidays ahead~

**Author's Note:**

> [Inspire me!](http://arh581958.tumblr.com/submit)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Yuletide Gatherings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5479736) by [Attorney C (arh581958)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/pseuds/Attorney%20C)




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